Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it. – Deuteronomy 1:17

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 31, 2012): Deuteronomy 1

The political season is upon us. It is the time of year when the voter is asked to make a decision on who it is that will do the best job in the office for which they are running. Who is it that is telling the truth? Who is it that has the best ability to complete the task at hand? Who is it that has a grasp on the problems that the culture has to face?

For most, the vote seems to run along party lines. And there is a good reason for that. Often the party reveals the core belief of the candidate. The candidate (hopefully) joins the party that best suits what it is that they believe. It is that core belief that will guide them through the decisions that will need to be made. They are illuminating light or the colored lens through which the candidate views the world. And it is unlikely that a candidate will make a decision that goes against that core belief. Most party beliefs are complex and wading through the pros and cons beyond the average voter; so instead we rely on bullet points and abbreviated statements of belief. Sometimes a core belief can be boiled down even to one statement. For the Tea Party in 2008 that single core belief was a balanced budget and the beginning of a process that would pay down the debt of a nation. It was a simple, concise and understandable core belief – and the result was a number votes were cast in their direction when voting day finally arrived.

Moses starts off his last address to Israel by reminding them of where they had come from – and what it was that they believed. And early on in the belief discussion was something that we have come to mistakenly believe is recent social development – that all men were created equal. It did not matter who it was – both the greatest movers and architect of the nation and lowest worker were equal and deserving of the same justice from the social system. And when they were judged, there would be no partiality in the judgment.

The same belief is a cornerstone of modern culture, although it seems that we often forget that. We are all equal – everyone. In the eyes of God, what we possess or create or know does not make us any more special than anyone else. We are special – but that includes everyone. And we are all loved – and again, that means everyone.    

   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 2

For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. – Psalm 90:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 30, 2012): Psalm 90

How do you see time? I admit that I schedule my weeks quite closely. I know that if I am going to achieve everything that I need to achieve in a week (including some down time) I need to be aware of my goal from the beginning of the week. And I am an on-time person. I believe in being on-time. I have a meeting later tonight and I am planning on being at the church early so that the person will not have to wait for me – but I will also have some work with me so that I can be productive while I am waiting.

And I realize that that is partly just because I have a western cultural view of time. A few years ago an ethnic group (African) asked me if they could use the church to have a meeting for a couple of hours on a Saturday. I have always felt that the church needs to be utilized, so my answer was yes. But I did have a conflict. I had a wedding to perform at 11:00 in the morning. The ethnic group wanted to use the church from 10:30 until 12:30 or 1:00 in the afternoon. So I told them about the wedding but we booked a room on the lower level of the church that would not interfere with the wedding and its guests.

The Saturday came and at 10:30, the group still had not arrived. The wedding guests had started to arrive and then finally the wedding ceremony started (late because weddings always seem to be late – most often because the wedding party wants to wait until Aunt Sally arrives and apparently she did not know when the wedding was supposed to start) and still the group had not arrived. The wedding ended and the guest left and I was had settled down in my office to get some work done before the reception began, and then the first few people from the meeting started to arrive at the door. By about 1:30, most of the participants had arrived and the meeting had started. But now I had another problem. I had a reception to go to, and this meeting, which was just getting started, was supposed to be over. A couple of hours into the meeting I went down to the room to tell them that I had to leave and that I was going to lock the door, but if they could just pull the door shut and make sure it was latched when they left, I would appreciate it.

At 9:00 that night I came back to the church to arm the alarm system, and the parking lot was full and the meeting was still going on. (It ended at about 1:30 in the morning, twelve hours after it had begun.) The problem was that my Western definition of time conflicted with their African definition.

I have a problem when we try to put God on a time schedule of our own devising. I do not believe that God does not understand time, but I do think that his understanding is different from ours. And sometime we even try to put God’s version of time in our own concrete terms, after all, a day to the God is like thousand years to us, but even that is not quite right. I think God understands my African friends better than I do, and just maybe his definition is closer to their definition than it is to mine. When we sing the old chorus “In His Time” what we are saying is that God moves when he sees fit. And he will finish his work when the job is done. And for Western minds like mine, I know that is tough – but it is his promise. And that is a promise that we can depend on.        

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 1

These are the commands and regulations the LORD gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. – Numbers 36:13

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 29, 2012): Numbers 36

Every once in a while when I was at home my mom and dad would go away for the weekend, leaving my sister and I in the house alone. For a while we had someone come over and look after us while they were away, but finally after one bad dose of weekend care my parents finally came to the conclusion that we were probably safer left alone. So after that time, we were left to fend for ourselves. I looked forward to those weekends. It was not that anything exciting ever happened. Mostly our party activity when mom and dad were away consisted of unlimited television and meals eaten while we were watching the square box. But still ... there was a sense of independence in those weekends. It was an independence that I think every teen yearns for.

But, to get to the independent weekend, we had to go through the final conversation. It was the conversation in which we were reminded one more time of the rules of the house and the responsibilities that we needed to take care of while mom and dad were gone. It was all stuff that we already knew, but the older members of the family still felt that we needed to be reminded of the information. Sometimes the conversation came from mom, but other times it came from dad – although I have to admit that often when dad gave us the conversation, it had the “mom wanted me to talk to you about ...” quality to the conversation.

Later, my wife and I had the same conversations with our children as we would leave for a few days. And I admit it sometimes amazed me how often the departure time got delayed because of “one more thing” that had to be communicated to the kids before we drove out of the driveway.

As we reach the end of Numbers, we are told that the last part of the chapter was simply “the conversation” that God needed to have with Israel before they entered into the Promised Land. Israel was in place on the east side of the Jordan River, across from Jericho. This was to be the entrance spot of the nation into the land that had been promised to them. And these were the things that the people needed to remember before they crossed the river.

The book of Deuteronomy is the same discussion, but this time the conversation would be between Moses and Israel – these are the last things that you need to know so that you can enjoy the land that you are about to enter into – and the presence of the Living God.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 90

The VantagePoint Community Church Sermon "Hope in the Desert" from the series "The Road" is now available on the Vantagepoint Website. You can find the link here http://www.vantagepointcc.org/The_Road___Hope_in_the_Desert.htm

Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. – Numbers 35:30

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 28, 2012): Numbers 35

Can you remember what you saw yesterday? Or even what you did yesterday? It seems like such a simple question, but I am always amazed at how quickly the days fade in our memory. Even yesterday seems to be so far away. I can remember things that impressed me or special events from a long while in the past. I can remember afternoons at the Dairy Queen in July with my 100 year old Grandmother, and I remember the Bat Mitzvah of a friend that I attended last Saturday – but yesterday is already fading in my recollection. And the truth is that it has to be something pretty important for me to really remember.

So those police shows where the suspect gets dragged into the Police Station and asked “What were you doing last Tuesday?” kind of scare me. I am sure that I could figure it out, but I doubt I would be able to remember at the Police Station in the pressure of the moment – and then when I finally remembered they would probably just accuse me of making up an alibi and lock me away. But in the real life, that is the way that our memory often works. Our brains seem to make some decisions without us even realizing it on what it considers important to remember – and what is routine. And it is only the things that our brains file away as important that we remember easily.

And our memory problems do not end there. I can also remember things that never really happened. When we tell a story enough times some of the details seem to become clearer, but actually it is often our incredible brains filling in the gaps of the story, making the story seem even more real. But the fill is not real – we just made up some of the details to give the story life. And all of this we do unconsciously.

But the phenomenon does not end there. The tricks our brains can play on us continue. And that is the reason why eyewitness testimony is one of the worst pieces of evidence for any crime. And the reason why God instructed that no one should be put to death on circumstantial evidence, or even on the witness of a single eyewitness. It really was not that one eye witness could not be trusted (although sometimes that is the case), but rather just the fragility of the eyewitness process.

It is also the reason why, for the most important decisions of life, we really need to base them on something more than just what it is that we see.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 36

Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Salt Sea. “‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’” – Numbers 34:12

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 27, 2012): Numbers 34

So much of what we do – or do not do – is emotional. That was the actual meaning behind the words of Yoda in “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” as he teaches the young Luke Skywalker to “Do or do not – there is no try.” His words were encouraging Luke to make a decision, and to leave the emotion of the moment behind him. But Yoda’s words are easier to say than to follow. Emotion makes up so much of our life decisions – and emotion lies at the bottom of so many of our disagreements.

That is also what makes forgiveness so hard. Our arguments may have had a logical start (even that is often questionable), but it does not take long for the argument to cross over into emotional ground. And once that happens, it is hard for logic to regain control. And forgiveness is actually a logical decision – one made in protection of ourselves.

And that has been the problem behind the argument over possession of the West Bank in Israel. The West Bank was not included in the plan to remake the nation of Israel. But in the 1967, Israel defended itself from attack and took the West Bank as its own spoils when the conflict finally ended. The problem behind the idea was that the United Nations has a resolution that bans countries from gaining land through war – even when that gain happened in self defence. But war is never logical – it is always emotional. The gain became almost immediately an emotional part of the new Israel.

But the emotion in this political situation goes beyond just a war that happened decades ago. The New Israel looks back fondly (as they should) on the old Israel. The borders of the nation under the kings of the Old Testament – especially David – and the borders that God handed down to the tribes of a fledgling nation saying that this is the land that I have promised you became the emotional promise of the nation. And the border that God spoke of included the Jordan River on the East – and the controversial West Bank is on the West Bank of the Jordan River – inside the boundaries of the land that God gave to Israel. This was their traditional boundary set out in the Scriptures themselves. We can question where the boundaries of traditional Israel are on the North and the South, but that Israel was to stretch from the Mediterranean Sea on west to the Jordan in the East clearly in Hebrew Scripture. And that drives the emotions of the nation.

Please, on both sides I recognize the problems. And we will have treaty after treaty that will attempt to deal with the situation in the West bank, but we need to understand the emotional basis that lies behind the situation on both sides. And it might be that a lasting solution will never be reached until both sides get through the emotion and really begin to forgive each other for the things that have gone before.

     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 35

At the LORD’s command Moses recorded the stages in their journey. This is their journey by stages: - Numbers 33:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 26, 2012): Numbers 33

Life does not happen at all at once, even though sometimes we wish it would. Experience never comes on the first day of the job. When we are young we often devalue the need for experience; after all it only causes blind spots – surely the energy that a young person has to devote to a problem is more important than any experience an older person has to offer. But, usually as we gain experience we begin to understand how wrong we were when we were young.

As Christians, we often desire the same thing; we want a stageless journey. So, as the journey begins, we want to jump to the end of the story. We want our spiritual experience to measure up quickly to those who have walked the path for a long time. But that is not the reality of any part of our existence. The Christian life is a journey, a path that we walk. Our reality is that our spiritual journey before Christ was a series of steps in certain direction. And the only way to follow Christ is often to take those same steps back to the place where we began.

Israel had taken a walk with God. The path from slave to nation was not completed in a single step – or even a single leap - but a forty year journey. And every step of the way had been important. So God commanded that Moses record every stage of the journey so that future generations would understand the process that their ancestors had gone through.

Today is another step on our spiritual journey. It is part of what is important about our gatherings. The journey that Israel made, they made together. And we are not journeying alone either. It is time to gather together and remind ourselves of just that. Come, let us worship!  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 34

“If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.” – Numbers 32:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 25, 2012): Numbers 32

The grass always seems to be greener somewhere else. This summer my wife and I did some work on our front yard. To be honest, we sometimes think that our yard kind of brings down the look of the neighborhood. And this is not our first stab at doing something about the problem. We even had a professional landscaper come in to do some work a few years ago, but we did not quite get what we wanted from the experience. So, this year we tried again. And I think it does look better, but we still have some problem spots that we just have not been able to solve.

Having said that, the other day I noticed how great our yard looks from the street. From the street all of the problem spots just seem to disappear. And with new eyes I looked around at the lawns of the other houses on my block. Is it possible that the reason why all the other lawns always seem to look so much better than mine is because I always look at them from the street – they look good because I never get close enough to them to really see them?

That is the situation in a lot of what we see. And the temptation that is always with us is that if we just go a little further we will find something better. And sometimes the hardest thing we can ever be asked to do is to be happy right where we are.

If there is something powerful that comes out of this story, it is that Reuben and Gad had recognized the place that was suitable for their requirements – a place where they could stay and be happy. They had the ability to stand on the land and say that this is the place that they had dreamed about. We are told that both tribes were large, and not taking an inheritance inside of the Promised Land would leave more land for the other tribes to inherit. And so they came respectfully to Moses, recognizing that he was the leader of the nation, and asked for their inheritance right where they were.

The better part of wisdom might be learning when to recognize the good things right where we are, and when we need to move on to a better place. And my guess is that too often we move on, and the prize we receive is the same problems we wanted to get away from in a different place. Blessed is the person who is content in the space that they already occupy. Be happy where you are!

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading:  Numbers 33

So we have brought as an offering to the LORD the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.” – Numbers 31:50

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 24, 2012): Numbers 31

Why do the innocent suffer? It has been one of the reigning questions from the very beginning of time. Why do those who have done nothing, or have not done much evil, seem to have to suffer with all of the rest of evil humanity. And the stock answer has always been sin – it is the sin that we commit that not only shapes our own lives, but shapes the lives of those around us as well. Suffering too often is the result of the wrong that we do. And sometimes it is tough to make the connection between the sin and the suffering.   But sometimes it is not.

So the soldiers had come to the priests to make atonement to God. The concept of atonement is the repaying or making amends for wrong that has been committed. Its presence alone is an admission of guilt. This was not giving to God his share of the plunder; it is not about the paying of a tithe. Wrong had been committed that needed to be atoned for – and evil that needed to be admitted. Scholars tend to look back a few verses to Moses accusation about the army letting the women live who had been instrumental in leading the men of Israel into sin, but it might be that the sin the soldiers stood needing atonement for happened much further back than that.

The reality is that while Israel had been tempted into sin, they did not have to give into the temptation. It may have been Balaam’s plan, hatched through the women of Midian that had lured Israel into sin, and therefore out of the protection of God, but the men of Israel also had to take their share of the blame. The temptation could have been resisted, and a lot of lives – both innocent and guilty – could have been saved.

Sin is never easily contained. Whenever we give into temptation, it always seems to take us beyond the current situation; causing damage to parts of our lives and the lives of others that we would have never dreamed was possible before we committed the wrong. And maybe that is the reason we are a people that seem to continually stand in need of atonement.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 32

Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.– Numbers 30:9

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 23, 2012): Numbers 30

I recently watched a series of videos that I found on Youtube revealing surprising facts that many people just do not realize are true. It contained things like - did you know that China will soon be the number one English speaking nation in the world.  Or maybe that India has more kids in the honors program in their schools than the United States has kids.  It was just a list of things that were surprising - and maybe even hard to believe.  And then I watched another video. It looked like other ones I had seen, except that the end of the video contained a disclaimer – all of the facts in the video had been made up. The entire video was a lie.

Every so often I catch myself saying (or writing) something like ‘to tell you the truth.’ The intention is to underline the reality that stands behind my words. But I know that the true effect of my words gives the impression that sometimes my words are not true – the impression that sometimes my words reflect reality of the last video that I watched, the one that was totally made up.

It is unlikely that these statutes held in these verses arose out of nothing. It would seem likely that there had been a problem; a vow that had been entered into at one part of life, only to be forgotten during another stage of life. The vow seemed to come with an expiry date – but it was not an expiry date that God accepted.

The reality is that making vows is almost always a dangerous business. Vows seldom do any good, and often they seem to do much evil.  They give us the false impression that what we are doing is the will of God. But the one who does not feel themselves bound to do what is fit, right, and just from the standing testimony of God's word, is not likely to do it from any obligation that they may lay upon their own conscience by taking a vow. If God's word is not enough to cause godly behavior, the persons own word (and their own vow) can never really be trusted. Our reality is that the responsibility of every person who professes a faith in Christ to devote their body, soul, and spirit to God, not only to the furthest extent of their powers, but also as long as they live. And there is no vow that can take the place of that responsibility.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 31 

Moses told the Israelites all that the LORD commanded him. – Numbers 30:40

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 22, 2012): Numbers 29

A friend asked me a question today. What did I think of ministries or people who developed a Biblical thought by using a string of single Bible verses, put together in such a way they sound as if that was the way they were written. And maybe my answer was a little quick, but it was simple – No. That is not a way that I would ever want to teach. And as I sat on a table across from her I continued my thought – I also do not like teachings that string a number of Bible verses together that are from different verses. Even if the thought is totally of God, it gives the impression that you are working awful hard to get the Bible to say what it is that you want it to say. And even that impression causes too much damage to be worth the effort.

It is the problem we have with our set of proof texts. We know them, they are the ones that we have memorized, and yet if our Christianity begins and ends with those verses, it is in serious danger. John 3:16 is a great (even foundational) verse, but can I suggest that it is worthless outside of the totality of the scriptural text. If our attitude is that we know that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” so that we need nothing else – we are missing something important. God did not sit John down and say – okay, this is all that I need you to do, just write this one sentence. Instead, John was inspired to write a series of sentences and paragraphs and pages – all of which are important -but not only that, all of it is tied together in a very important way.

One of the proof verses that really bothers me is Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,“ plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. We quote Jeremiah’s words often without realizing the context that these words were spoken into. They were spoken to Israel at one of the worst moments that the nation could experience. They were captives in Babylon and could not go home. And not only were they captive now, but the generation that heard these words never would return home. If we speak them meaning that even in our worst circumstances God can still work in us, then we are actually getting at the heart of what the Bible is saying. But if we quote Jeremiah’s words with the intention of saying that better days are ahead, we have missed the point of the totality of Jeremiah’s words.

Moses gave to Israel all of the words of God. Not just the ones that they wanted to here or the ones that promised success - he gave them all of the words that he had heard. And we stand in the role of those who would receive, and God’s desire is that we would receive it all. I hope that you memorize Scripture, but be aware of the wealth of meaning that comes when we begin to understand all of the words that have been passed down to us.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 30

Prepare these together with their drink offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. Be sure the animals are without defect. – Numbers 28:31

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 21, 2012): Numbers 28

Last weekend the church I attend had their “last kick of summer” party. We have done this for the past few years, giving away free food and school supplies to the people of the community – a lot of whom do not even attend our church. We do it because we are convinced that God loves the people who would never dare enter into the church building (and that is also the reason that we hold the major portions of the event outside.) So, even though the event is directed at the community, it is also our sacrifice to God. And as our sacrifice to God, that means that God has specific requirements about what it is that we offer.

At the same time, I have to admit that I am not sure that I like biblical language of this passage. With respect to animals, the Bible says clearly that the sacrifice that needs to be offered is to be without defect. But that leaves us with the impression that the sacrifice needed to be perfect. So does that mean that our sacrifice of service (we just do not offer very many animal sacrifices anymore) also needs to be perfect? Some have picked up on exactly that message - that we also need to be perfect in the actions that we offer to God. But the reality of my world is that perfection is exceedingly rare.

But perfection was just as rare in the animals of ancient times. All the worshipper could do was to look at the outside of the animal and evaluate it. And the intention of the law was that the sacrifice would be of the best quality possible. It was the animal that would be worth the most to the farmer. God’s intent was that he would not be honored by our leftovers.

I know there is no way that I can offer God perfection. As the team met immediately following our party we discussed all of the things we needed to change to the event so that we could do a better job next year. But I am also convinced that the sacrifice that we gave this year was our best – we gave God all that was within us to give. But my hope is that next year we can be even more loving and charitable – and even more like Christ as we give the best of what we have to the community as our sacrifice to him.

    

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 29

... for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.) – Numbers 27:14

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 20, 2012): Numbers 27

As Moses came off of the mountain carrying the two stone tablets, the law was confined to ten rules. Scholars have long argued about their authorship, arguing that there is evidence of Hittite and Mesopotamian influences, but that really should not be much of a surprise. The premise of the Torah is that this is the way that God has intended for all of us to live. Even back in Genesis, the instruction that Abraham was given was that he would be blessed so he could be a blessing to the rest of the world. Israel’s purpose has always been to be a blessing to the world. And as Christianity found its roots in Judaism, it has also picked up on that responsibility. But the laws were not designed to be reserved for only one group of people. We all bear the responsibility as we begin to learn about and reflect the desire that God has for our lives. That the root of Jewish law would be seen in other cultures of that time period is not really much of a surprise.

But for the Jews, the law did not stop there. Jewish tradition asserts that the total law found in the four books of Exodus through Deuteronomy actually total 613. That would be 603 more laws than could be fit on the stone tablets that Moses carried off of the mountain. So that begs the question - why the ten? And the answer is that the Ten Laws or Commandments really form the backbone of all the law that would be given. In most instances, the 603 laws just illustrated how the ten could be kept and through them how God would be honored. And the key word in that last sentence is honored.

If we can accept that to be true, then maybe among the ten there might be just one. And that one is not the first commandment, but the third. The third commandment simply states “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” (Exodus 20:7) We often relegate the intent of this commandment to just our undignified habit of using foul language, but that is not really what God was getting at. The intent of the third commandment is that we are not to do anything that would throw dirt on the name of God. We are not to do anything that would cause God (and the name of God) to be dishonored. And just as the 603 laws support the Ten Commandments so the other nine commandments actually describe ways that God could be dishonored; ways for us to throw dirt on his name.

And it was the third commandment that Moses had violated. Oh, he had violated other commandments. We know that he had murdered and we suspect that he had lied in his conversations with God when he complained that he could not speak well (growing up in the family of the Pharaoh, public speaking would have been a major part of his early education), but when it came to laws that he had violated that would keep him out of the Promised Land, it was the third that would do that – Moses had disobeyed God’s command to honor him in all that he did.

God demands that he should be honored in all things that we, his creation, would accomplish in this life. It is that honor that makes everything that you will do today a sacred act toward God.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 28

The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names. – Numbers 26:53

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 19, 2012): Numbers 26

A number of years ago I heard a lecture that was basically on the subject of burnout. And there was one thought that has stuck with me – a line of thought that I have taken to heart. The idea was that there are things that we do as we live life that energizes us and that there are things that we do that drain us. And each one of us needs to be able to identify what those things are in our own lives. And so I have created a list of things that I think drain me, and I have a list of things that energize me (and, to be honest, my list of things that drain me is longer than my list of things that energize me.) And the purpose behind the list is that when I am doing things that drain me, I cannot expect to do that endlessly without pausing to do things that energize. I have just finished my holidays, but it is unrealistic for me to believe that I can work for eleven months at things that drain me and then take four weeks to recharge and then go back to be drained for another eleven months. Successful life is the mixture of things that drain and things that energize. And when life brings more things that drain, the appropriate response is not to abstain from play for that period (which is our typical response) but rather to increase it. More things that drain requires more things that recharge. And that makes sense to me.

God commands that a census be taken of Israel. And that can be a bit confusing because God seems to be a bit fickle on this point. Sometimes it is okay to count (even commanded to count) and sometimes it is forbidden. And the question that we ask is – what is the difference? And the difference is found in the purpose. In Numbers twenty-six, a census is needed so that the land can be divided up among the tribes. Because more people require more land, and not only that, but more land requires more people to tame and make full use of its resources. And I get that, because more things that empty require more things that can fill. So a census is required. Later, another census will be taken that will be condemned because its purpose will be to see if God is strong enough to do a task by counting the number of people in Israel. And the purpose for the census will not connect to the action of the census.

Purpose is important as we try to understand what it is that God wants us to do. And we can fall into the same kind of trap. Sometimes we need to take inventory of ourselves and our activities because God has designed us to live in a certain way. We need to understand that and be able to use our inventories so that we can function better in the world. But when we take an inventory of ourselves to answer the question of whether God is strong enough – then we have left purpose behind. And our inventory does not match with our purpose – and we should expect to be condemned. Purpose is important – and it is something that we always need to consider whenever we are doing things in life. And it can never be left behind.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 27

Note: The VantagePoint Community Church sermon "The Road - Making a Difference" is now available on the VantagePoint Community Church Website. You can find it here. http://www.vantagepointcc.org/The_Road___Making_a_Difference.htm

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women ... Numbers 25:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 18, 2012): Numbers 25

I know that the church’s stand on sexual activity is considered to be archaic by some. It is an artifact left over by from a time when we did not understand sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy to the point that we do now (and yet we still get caught – go figure. If, as a world, we would follow the Biblical mandates concerning our sexual lives, we would almost wipe out sexually transmitted diseases in a single generation.) But when we focus ourselves on the act of sex think we really miss the point.

Our sexuality is more than just the physical act of sex. The familiar instruction (and yes, from the Bible) is that two become one. Somehow, through the sexual act, we begin to be knitted together. We begin to adopt the life of the other – and the purposes of the other. There is really no such thing as casual sex. There is sex where we stop the knitting process early. A number of years ago, a friend of time spent some time with a prostitute. And I remember him telling me that after the sexual act they were lying in bed together and he asked the question – you had fun, right. And her response was that she did (it was an answer dominated by good business sense), but as I heard him tell the story, I think I realized what he had missed. The sex had come at cross purposes; my friend was looking for connection. And he was starting to sow the seeds of that connection; he had begun the process of becoming one with someone that he was paying to be there. And I think if there was honesty on her part, the same action had started in her, but she was a little more practiced than my friend at stopping the “becoming one” process that was going on. The sexual act involves so much more than just the physical body – it involves all of us.

Balaam understood that. So if he was to disrupt the purposes of the God of Israel (a real God that he believed in) what he needed to do was change the purposes of Israel. It had to be more than just a thought – it had to be a thought that would be transferred into an action. And the idea was a simple one – he would get them sexually involved with the women from Moab. And in that process, their purposes would change. Even which god that Israel would serve would change in the knitting process. Everything that made Israel special would be lost. And that is the danger of the sexual relationship that is entered into on the spur of the moment. It is why I do not believe in love at first sight, and in fact believe that sex and marriage should not even be considered within the first eighteen months of a relationship – because it takes at least that long to get beyond the chemical and begin to understand the person that you are taking into your bed. And I understand that that sounds archaic, but it protects who it is that you are so that when you begin the knitting process you will be knitted together with someone who, in the special ways, support the special person that is you.

I am sure that the men of Israel never intended to lose that which was special about them. They were not trying to risk their relationship with God, or even considering changing the God that they served. All they wanted was physical sex, but they did not understand where that union would eventually take them. Perry Noble says it this way. “Sin will take you further then you ever intended to go, stay longer than we intended to stay, and pay a higher price than ever intended to pay.” Far from being an archaic rule, it is part of the process of protecting the special person that God has created you to be.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 26

Note: Tomorrow (Sunday, August 19, 2012), VantagePoint Community Church will be celebrating their Party at the Point. The service will start at 11 and be followed by free hot dogs and pop and games and music. If you are in the Edmonton Area, come and have a hot dog on us – we would love to meet you. I hope to see you there. 

... the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened: - Numbers 24:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 17, 2012): Numbers 24

I sometimes have to admit that I struggle with the idea of belief. We would define belief as intellectual assent in the direction of something. But intellectual assent is often meaningless. We believe that the Earth travels around the Sun. There are not many of us that have the ability to wade through the mathematical formulas that prove the premise, but that does not stop most of us from believing in the principle. I know that there are those who choose not to believe. Recently I had a conversation with someone who said that science had now proven that the earth was the center of the universe, and in fact everything revolves around the earth. I have never read any reports (let alone respectable scientific reports) that have made that assertion. So that is not something that I believe. But either way, it remains just belief.

But belief is not always a predictor of behavior. Whether or not the Earth circles the Sun really has no effect on what I do on a daily basis. In fact, even though I know that it is the earth that is in motion, I still talk about the Sun as it rises and sets – as if it is the Sun that is doing the moving. I believe in the need for the law. I do not want to live in a constant state of anarchy. And yet I have to admit that I took a trip outside of the city that I live in and I probably averaged 8 or 9 kilometers/hour over the posted speed limit (and was frustrated by the number of cars hat still passed me as I drove down the highway.) My belief in the law did not stop me from violating it. Belief had no effect on my behavior. There seemed to be something that was stronger than my belief (in the case of the Sun, what is stronger is what my senses report to me about the movement of the sun - and in the case of my driving it is the need to get from point A to point B in an allotted amount of time.)

Balaam believed in God. He believed in who he was, he understood his power; he even understood the purpose that he held for Israel. And as he looked at the nation of Israel and saw the plans that God had for them, he made a conscious decision to go against those plans. Belief was not enough to shape his behavior.

We are called to belief, but our spiritual goals do not stop there. We need to decide to go beyond belief and on to life lived by faith in what it is that we believe. We need to accept what it is that we believe about God and allow that belief to shape our actions. It was a step that Balaam refused to make – but one that we have to make.

Belief is never enough. James was right when he wrote that even demons believe – and shudder. They realize the implications of their belief combined with their lack of faithful action. And they know the example that Balaam had left for them of where that kind of belief will take them.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 25

How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced? - Numbers 23:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 16, 2012): Numbers 23

I am just coming off of my vacation time. And over my time off I tried to relax (which is kind of the purpose of the vacation in the first place.) and, for me, part of the relaxation process is getting caught up on the mountains of stuff that I want to read but just do not have the time for – and part of it is simply playing games.

So, for my vacation, I picked up a copy of Sid Meier’s “Civilization V.” I had played all of the versions of Civilization up to the current fifth version, but I had not gotten around to playing number five. Now I have. The game is basically about building your empire and fighting border skirmishes with other civilizations. And inside the game there is the option to denounce somebody. Basically, someone gets you mad, but you do not want to go to war against them, so you call them names instead. And that sounds a lot like my daily life.

We denounce people (and things) that we do not like. But there is a problem with our name calling game. If you denounce me, that actually tells the world more about you than it does about me. It is the main problem with the websites that rate different companies. You never know exactly where that rating came from. It could be (and I think often is) that the person being rated low did things right, but not in a way that the person thinks it should be done. During my vacation I heard some stories from my uncle about running a business in the Christian World. And I should not have been surprised, but I was. My uncle runs a business that caters to Christians, and he said that Christians are the worst at trying to get things done “under the table.” My uncle is an honorable man, so that kind of illegal wrangling coming out of the Christian community bothers him. But I know the other side of it. There are a number of pastors out there ready to denounce any business that dares to stand by their principles and do things in a Christian way. It should not be that way – but it is.

And that is the crossroad that Balaam had reached in his life. He had a task to do. The king was asking for something. He wants Israel cursed and denounced. Basically, he would like to spread some bad press about them to every other nation in the area (just like in “Civilization.”) But Balaam’s problem is that God has not denounced them – so how can he.

It is the unanswered question whenever we decide to speak negatively about other people. Who has God denounced? And if God stands and says that I love them - that they too are called by me and stand in the middle of my grace and forgiveness - then how can we denounce them. And the answer is – we can’t. And that alone should make us pause before we say anything negative about … anybody.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 24

The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her.” Numbers 22:33

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 15, 2012): Numbers 22

 I have mentioned that I am currently reading the “Game of Thrones” series of novels. And one of the behind the story themes is that the animals somehow know something that everyone else has missed. In the story, it is the direwolves of the children that seem to possess the knowledge. And because they know, they are often in position when they are needed – or they are mourning before any of the other characters have any reason to mourn. The animals know or see long before people do.

It is not a radically new theme for literature. Stories ranging from the old Lassie T.V. show to movies like Eragon have displayed the same underlying theme. And it is not just a feature of our literature. We have real life stories of our pets sensing something wrong long before their owners recognize that there is a danger. Dogs have rescued their owners and horses have rushed for help. It is one of the weird truths of this world.

So with all of this evidence, I wonder why we are sometimes surprised by a story about a donkey who reacts to God before his master does. In a way, it makes sense. And maybe it is just the way that God has put this world together.

Balaam’s donkey sees the angel and stops. And God makes it clear that the action of the donkey was only to save its master – the donkey was never in any kind of danger. Later, Jesus would say that if the people were quiet, the stones themselves would cry out revealing the truth of God. All of creation will eventually bow down and worship him. We might be God’s crowning achievement, but often (maybe even usually) it seems that it is the animals that see him first. Maybe that is because they are simple, and it is our complexity that blinds us to the purposes of God.

If that is true, then today my prayer is for simplicity. Will you join me?

   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 23

Personal Note:  Today is my 31^st Wedding Anniversary. It is amazing that someone put up with me that long. It is also my Sister and her husband’s 25^th Anniversary (I think Cheri did that so that Laurie and I would only have to remember the one date.) Anyway, thank you nelda for sharing the years with me – and Happy Silver Anniversary to Cheri and Laurie. I love you all.

When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. – Numbers 21:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 14, 2012): Numbers 21

I like to try to play chess. I think I have mentioned that I am a very inconsistent player. My problem is twofold. The first is that I do not see my opponents strategy strongly enough. A major part of the game is not found in reacting to what you see on the board, but seeing what your opponents next moves are going to be and reacting to them, shaping them in a way that benefits you. And while I freely admit that I often struggle with that part of my game, probably my biggest problem is my pride. I can go on winning streaks and then I let my guard down – and the losing begins. I start to forget the simple fundamental things that allowed me to win – I think my strategy can carry me where my fundamental play has succeeded in the past. And, every time, I am wrong.

The Christian motto is often “strength in weakness” – or “when I am weak, then he is strong.” There is a reason for that. Whenever we work in the places where we have experience and confidence, pride lurks in the surrounding darkness. And when we start to believe the lie of the expert, we begin to experience pride – it is the feeling that we know exactly what it is that we are doing. And in that moment, disaster is never closer.

If there is one thing that Israel knew, it was how to live in the desert and defeat the enemies that dared to attack them in what had become their environment. After all, they had been doing it for thirty-eight long years. By now, most of their people of the fledgling nation had been born in the desert. They had known no other kind of life. But they were also about to transition into a different life, one away from the desert. And to be successful at that life, they would need to remember their reliance on God; that it is when they are weak that they can find their own strength. The battle with Arad had been a wake-up call. They had lost a battle that their experience told them that they should have won – all because they forgot the one who had been guiding them all the way through the desert.

Whenever you feel you are strong – every time you rely on your education or feel that you should know something – you are treading close to failure. Pride has a way of weighing us down so that we no longer see the solution that we need. And then we begin to trust less in him. And that is a dangerous combination.

You may be good and equipped for a task, without God you will fail. It was the truth of the situation that Israel needed to be reminded of.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 22

“Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. – Numbers 20:24

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 13, 2012): Numbers 20

I love the argument over the phrase that “the wages (or the penalty) of sin is death.” I love it because it is both a great discussion over what the meaning of the words actually is and because sometimes it involves the lunatic fringe of Christian culture – and I actually love the lunatic fringe. In reality, it is the ones on the edges of culture that sometimes remind us of a truth that we have either evaded or forgotten. Those that gather on the street corners with their placards, the very ones who embarrass a lot of those of us who identify with Christ actually have a purpose in our culture. The message that they speak so bluntly is sometimes one that we need to here.

Is the end near? Of course it is. Although cosmologically speaking the definition of near might be a little different from what many of us believe that the word should mean. All of our philosophies and all of our scientific knowledge agree that everything that we see is ultimately temporary – none of it is going to last forever. At some point our sun will go supernova – at some point the universe will collapse back in on itself. And all of this as far as the human race is concerned is only a concern if we do not poison our own world first. The end is coming. And it is near – or far - depending on your point of view.

And the wages of sin is death. We make the comment, but then we explain it a way. The wages of sin is death – and maybe by that we mean spiritual death or a death of the soul. Maybe it is the death of our dreams (I cannot imagine a scarier type of death.) But we write off the possibility that it might just mean physical death, because we all sin and yet we seem to be still alive. If the wages of sin is physical death, then we all should have already died (and as Scrooge would say – have decreased the surplus population.)

But ... sometimes the “wages of sin is death” means exactly what all those placards say it means – physical death. God asked for Aaron’s life, and the outstanding reason was sin. Because of sin Aaron died. It is not always that way, but sometimes it is. And there is no way to get away from that “sometimes.”  

 Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 21

Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting. – Numbers 19:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 12, 2012): Numbers 19

I watched a football game (the American or Canadian version – not soccer) the other night. I love football. It was the only sport that I had ever been marginally good at. The team that I was watching had been having problems running the ball. The surprise was that it was something the team was predicted to have been good at before the season had started. But they were struggling. In football, there is an adage – run North and South, not East and West. The meaning of the saying is that the purpose of football is to take the ball down the field, not toward the sideline. And often the saying holds truth. But on this night, something happened that became a key element of the game. The team started to run East and West. And the runs worked. All of the running toward the sidelines opened up room in the middle. And the running game finally started to produce results.

Sports are like that. The center of the field is often the most important part of the game. But the whole playing surface needs to be used for success. There is a reason for the sidelines along with the middle. The team that wins often utilizes the entire playing surface.

For Israel, the center of the camp was the Tent of Meeting or the Tabernacle. It was there that much of the important action took place – and most of the sacrifices were done on the altar that was within the tabernacle. The rest of the tribes of the nation were camped around the Tabernacle. But what was important happened at the center.

But one of the exceptions is here. The red heifer is taken outside of the camp where it is killed. And then the blood is taken on the finger of the priest, who is still outside the camp, and sprinkled in the direction of the tabernacle. It was the ultimate sideline play. And standing between priest and the temple were the people of Israel – the tribes, the ones who needed to be cleansed from sin.

It was not an accident that Jesus was killed just outside of Jerusalem. His blood was also figuratively sprinkled toward the temple. And standing between the blood and the Temple were the people. Today, as we come into the Temple to worship, our High Priest stands just on the outside of the sanctuary, cleansing us from our sin so that we can be ready for what he has for us in our worship. The time has come. Come, now is the time to worship!   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 20

Note:  The VantagePoint Community Church sermon - Sweat the Small Stuff - is now available on the Vantagepoint Website - you will find it here http://www.vantagepointcc.org/The_Essential_James_Part_II___Sweat_the_Small_Stuff.htm

Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the Tent of the Testimony. – Numbers 18:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 11, 2012): Numbers 18

One of my frustrations as a Pastor is that I know that I do not measure up to the expectations that people have of me. And when I say that to some of the leaders, their response is often to try to give me some advice on how I can do better at living up to the job description that they have more me. And my problem is that that is not really the point. Right now I am mulling over some conversations and questions that I know need to be asked at my next leadership meeting. I am also anticipating some of their answers. And I know that the anticipated answers are great answers, I am almost hoping that they will put forward the ideas – but the truth is that the solution I am anticipating, even though it is a good and required solution, it is also outside of my gifting. It needs to be done, but I know that I cannot be the one expected to do it.

I also know that the same scene is playing itself out in churches and businesses all across the world. There is a solution to our problems, but it is not a solution that the Pastor or the CEO can accomplish alone. Someone else needs to come alongside us and help with the task.

The problem does not lie in the leader – the problem is in the expectation. Whenever we expect one person to know everything and be the answer to all of the problems of the community we are making a mistake – and we are being unbiblical. God makes it clear to Moses that anyone who ministers in the Tabernacle is not to do it alone. Everyone who ministers in the Tabernacle has a purpose – and a gifting to take care of the task. And that includes the ones in leadership positions. We all need some help.

In the New Testament, the Christian Community talks a lot about the ministry of the Paraclete, the counselor or the comforter – the one who comes alongside. And we recognize that the Paraclete is the Holy Spirit. But sometimes what we miss is that the Holy Spirit ministers through us. That makes each one of us the Paraclete. And that means that the expectations cannot be about the leader, but rather about what we do together. It takes all of us to accomplish the goals of the community. And our theme needs to be that our community is a place “where no one ministers alone.”

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Number 19

The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.” – Numbers 17:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 10, 2012): Numbers 17

There was a time of relative peace in the world that starts just before the birth of Jesus Christ and then extended for about two hundred years. It was a time of minimal expansionist tendencies on the part of the ruling government (the Roman Empire) and its author was  the ruling king - Caesar Augustus. The period of time is known as the “Pax Romana” which is Latin for the “Roman Peace.” But the truth behind the Roman Peace was that it coexisted with a period of intense internal violence. The Roman Peace was maintained by a very familiar Roman violence. Crimes were often dealt with swiftly and finally. The Roman Cross found frequent use. The Roman Peace was maintained by the Roman threat. To go against the Roman Peace was to risk immediate punishment – and often death.

It is a common tale from history. Rule was always maintained by force. To cross the King would be to risk instant death. The reason was that every King or Queen had a weakness that could be exploited. But the weakness could be overcome and the will of the ruler instigates by the liberal use of violent strength. Second chances were rare. And examples had to be made of the offenders.   

One of the images that we have of God is that he is sitting on his throne in heaven just waiting for us to mess up. He is the King, and unlike earthly Kings, he also knows everything. The combination was dangerous. God is the King who knows and his punishment is far reaching. And, for many of us, this is the God that we serve - except, that it is not the nature of God.

One of the differences between God and an earthly King is that God has nothing to prove and he has no weaknesses to exploit. And that might be the reason that he is characterized by grace. What Israel had done by questioning the leadership of Moses was to commit treason. Even though Israel was designed to be a theocracy (a nation ruled by God), Moses was the visible leader or king that sat on the physical throne of the nation. The penalty for treason throughout history has been death.

But God chose a different path. Rather than punish the offender, God chooses to do one more miracle to settle the leadership question. He chose grace. And he still chooses grace. Far being from a God who cannot wait for us to mess up, he is the God willing to risk one more miracle to bring his children finally home.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 18

When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. – Numbers 16:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 9, 2012): Numbers 16

When I was in High School I invented a game with some of my friends. Well, invented might be a little strong. We adapted some already existing games into a new format. The foundation stone of our new game was the game of Risk. So we played Risk with all of the existing rules, except that we added ships that could attack coastal spaces and transports that could deliver troops to friendly coastal squares. But in a true war, there is also a economic portion of the battle. So we needed a way to buy troops and ships for the battle. So we added the game of Stock Ticker to our new adaptation. And we set the prices for the various things and began to play.

For one of my friends, the temptation to use all of his economic power at the beginning of the game was too much. After all, Risk is a game of military strategy and battle. What could Stock Ticker really add to the game? And so he neglected Stock Ticker and used all of his money to buy extra armies at the beginning of the game. And it paid off – at least early in the game. He had the advantage that none of the rest of us had. But he did not have enough of an advantage to end the game. And as the rest of our economies started to take off, he found himself in a position where it was impossible for him to win. He had missed something important at the game.

What the leaders of Israel saw was that God had created them equal. When they were slaves none of them were allowed to have an opinion. But now as a community of free people, they all had a right to lead. And rights would not be taken away from them or given up by them easily. And somehow all of that made a lot of sense. Should it not be the one with the best ideas that has the honor of leading?

But as Moses laid facedown before God, he revealed what it was that the rest of the would be leaders lacked – humility. It was not the awesome ideas and leadership aptitudes that Moses possessed that made him the leader that he was. It was his willingness to humble himself before his God – something that none of the other would be leaders had been willing to do.

God is not looking for the next great idea for the church. He is looking for the ones that are willing to lay face down before him in an act of trust and humility. A man that is lying face down is not in a position to fight – but only to trust in the one that he is lying before. God needs more Moses’ that are willing to humble themselves and trust. It is the real attribute of leadership that we often do not give the attention that it deserves. Without an economy, my friend was never a threat in our High School game of Risk, and without humility, none of our ideas really matter.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 17

Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. – Numbers 15:40

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 8, 2012): Numbers 15

I grew up in a church that believed in rules. I think we had rules for every possible situation. We had rules that were designed to keep us out of trouble situations and we had rules that were designed to help us do good. But sometimes I think we forgot why the rules actually existed. They were supposed to just be a reminder of who our King was. Instead, we seemed to think it was the rules that somehow made us holy. As long as we followed the rules, we were following God. But the reality was that we made the rules themselves our god – and knelt down at their altar instead of God’s. We repeated the same mistake that the Pharisees made and decided to worship rules and laws instead of God. And as soon as we did that, grace no longer had any place in our lives.

Every law and instruction that was given to Israel had only one reason; to be a reminder that we are the property of the living God. If we are honest, a lot of the rules that we read about in the Torah just seem to be weird. But their purpose was simply to set Israel apart and remind them that they were the property of God. “Be consecrated to your God” could be simply translated – be holy. It was a holiness of heart and not a set of rules that has always been at the center of anyone who dared to be a Gods chaser - and that was exactly who Israel was designed to be.

The idea that somehow we can be followers of God and yet remain unchanged is a false one. If we are truly chasing after God, there are things that will happen inside of us. We will be changed – and longer we commit ourselves to follow after the things of God, the more holy we will become.

We are the followers of a holy God. And we cannot help but become more like him. In the end, if we are faithful, we will become holy for only one reason - because our God is holy.     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 16

And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” – Numbers 14:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 7, 2012): Numbers 14

I have recently started to read the “Game of Thrones” series of books. I am thoroughly enjoying the adventure story. But beyond the intrigue and the swordplay, it is actually an excellent description of leadership styles. The various leaders described in the book run from puppet kings with someone else pulling the strings, to selfish leaders running their houses into ruin to feed there are own egos and desires, and a couple of good leaders who lead because of a genuine concern for the people and willing to make the hard decisions.

There is an old joke that says that there are three reasons that a person might have for taking a position of leadership. The joke says that some become leaders for the power, while others do it for the recognition and still others for the money. The joke part is that for most leaders, none of those things are present. And when they are present, often good leaders would give them up just so they could be released from their leadership responsibilities. Leadership is not something that we should ever chase after. The truth is that leadership is often hard - and the rewards are very few.

We recognize Moses as an excellent leader. He was able to lead a nation not only on a long journey to a different place on the earth, but from being a nation of slaves into a nation that could take responsibility for themselves and for their own future. And the task was not an easy one. There were many times when Moses probably wished he had stayed with the sheep in Midian. The only reason that he would continue to lead was because God had asked him to.

But the people were not happy with his leadership. Often they are not happy because the task of a leader is to stretch us beyond where we are and into something new. And that process can be painful (it was for Israel.) So what Israel wanted was a puppet leader who would stop stretching them and return them to where they had already been. And Moses would never be a puppet.

If God has called you to lead – and I think that we are all called to be leaders somewhere in our lives – do not settle for just being a puppet. The perks are better, but puppets always has to leave God’s vision behind. There is so much more that God wants us to reach for. But getting there will require the presence of the real leader in us – and other leaders in our circle of influence.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 15

We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” – Numbers 13:33

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 6, 2012): Numbers 13

One of the things I used to love about the late night campfire when I was a kid was not the roasted marshmallows (actually, I would not discover their allure until much later in life.) What I loved about the late night campfire was the ghost stories. The ones that have been told for generations about convicts with hooks and criminals hanging upside down over your car, stories about plants that come to life and strange sounds and animals unknown during the day, but becoming a real threat at night. And a good story teller that could scare you at the appropriate moment was essential – and in my youth I remember a few of them. The power of good campfire story is to make you question what exists just beyond the light of the fire. It always raises the question about the things that lurk in the dark.

I admit being scared around the campfire, but I also understood that the fear was false and as the light dawned, the fears faded – because the creatures and people that I was told about around the campfire could only exist in the darkness of the night.

The Nephilim were israel’s version of a scary campfire story. The idea of the Nephilim originated in Genesis 6, just before the account of the Great Flood. The Nephilim were described as the offspring of the sons of the gods and the daughters of men. They were the fallen ones, some have even wondered if maybe they were earth’s first extraterrestrial visitors (thus they were actually fallen from the sky.) They were a race of giants, and they were evil. And when there was a campfire and a scary story needed to be told, the Nephilim were the designated boogiemen of the day.

It needs to be noted that the spy’s needed to concoct a story. They were scared to enter the Promised Land, but they needed the story to be bigger than it really was. So ... enter the Nephilim. The spies concoct a story that the descendants of the Nephilim were still on the earth. And they were still big and still nasty. But there was only one problem with the story. If the flood story was true, then the Nephilim had been wiped out by the flood, so they could not still be in Canaan.

Trouble has a tendency to reach back into our imagination and create itself worse than it really is. Often it conjures up the worst our experience – or our imagination – could offer. But when we look at it by the light of the day, we can recognize it as nothing but a lie. Israel failed to see the lie, but only because they refused the light that Joshua and Caleb tried to shine on it. And if we refuse the light, then the lie will always stand.

     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 14