Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. – Proverbs 7:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 31, 2013): Proverbs 7

When we know something well we often say that “we know it like the back of our hand.” It is a strange little saying – and I am not sure how much differentiates the back of one hand from that of another. But the reality is that we see the back of our own hand more than we see any other part of our body. Our hands are very familiar to us. So we often bind things on our hand to help us remember them. I have friends that will tie a piece of string to their fingers so they will remember to pick up the milk on the way home from work, because every time they look down at their hands during the day, which we do a lot, they see the string and remember the milk. (I have tried the system, but I can never remember what the string is for. Maybe I need to tie a second string to remind me what the first string is all about.) By the way, our marriage rings perform the same function. Yes, they tell other people that we are in an exclusive relationship with someone. But the rings also remind us of that relationship. And if there is an argument for guys to wear engagement rings, this might be a good reason – because we need to be reminded of the ones to whom we have made a commitment.

So the author of Proverbs again addresses these words to his son. And he says to wear wisdom on his hands like a ring. Let it always remind you. Again, like so many of the early Proverbs, Dad is specifically speaking about sexual unfaithfulness. His words are that the things he is saying are important enough to wear on his son’s fingers – and to write on his heart. Again, the word heart here means the core of your being and the seat of all action and, therefore, all morality. The intention is that the father wants his son to know these things so well that he will be able to act in these situations without even thinking – that morality will become automatic.

And Dad is right. Morality always needs to be journey toward the automatic. The truth is that we are too good at finding the loopholes for our own bad behavior – and we are too good at finding excuses to do whatever it is that we want to do. So, if we are going to live a moral life, then moral teachings have to become the default. And that is why it is so hard to break a bad habit – the bad habit is the action that has become automatic in our lives.

I am convinced that people who seem to live a moral life have just allowed right action to become the default. It is not that they do not struggle with the same temptations that the rest of us struggle with – because I know that they do. But they have trained themselves; they have tied right action around their fingers until it became written on the core of their being. And when that happened, they found that the right action they had been struggling with became the automatic response when stress seemed to demand an immediate action.     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 8

... who winks maliciously with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers – Proverbs 6:13

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 30, 2013): Proverbs 6

There was a “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episode where Captain Picard gets kidnapped and placed in a room with three other people. The room has a door, but it turns out the door is false and there is just a wall behind it. So in essence, he is in a room with three other people with different personalities – one of them is a pacifist but another is very violent in nature – and there is no way in or out of the room. Finally, we are introduced to the kidnappers and they are a people who communicate telepathically. And we find out that they believe that they are superior because they do not need words to get their ideas across to each other – and so their experiments with Picard and the three other captives are justified. At the close of the program the kidnappers are standing on the bridge of the Enterprise talking with the Captain of the ship. And Picard is communicating with them with words, but with his crew through gestures. So finally the formerly captive Picard becomes then captor. And the message he has for his captors is that just because he does not communicate telepathically does not mean that he is unable to communicate silently. With a crew that knows him, every gesture has a meaning.

The author of Proverbs understands that. And his message to his son is to be careful with people – because those who have an evil bent will say nice things with their mouths, while communicating something very different with their bodies. And the message seems to be that if you want to understand the truth about the people around you, you cannot ignore the body language of people. We get that. Body language is something that a lot of us try to read.

So sometimes we may purposely communicate with our body a message we are not saying with our mouths. But sometimes, our body simply betrays us. We want to appear to be one way, but our actions are telling a very different story. A few years ago I was standing in a crowded room and someone who was trying to give me information and I was writing the information down with a mechanical pencil – and my pencil kept on breaking. So finally the person I was talking to said “you just want to get rid of me. You are in a hurry and that is why your pencil keeps breaking.” She was reading something that I was not saying in the language of my actions. And partially she may have been right. People were queuing up behind her to speak to me – but I also struggle with mechanical pencils even when I am alone in my office. The author of Proverbs wants his son to understand the multiple ways we communicate – specifically the eyes, the hands and the feet - because relying on a single body message may lead us into error.

In either instance, we need to understand that the full message of others – and the message that we are communicating – is not fully communicated with the voice. We need to be aware of the other ways that we all communicate if we want to find the truth. And we all want truth.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 7

For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly. – Proverbs 5:23

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 29, 2013): Proverbs 5

The book “God and Boobs” was released earlier this month by Angie Schuller Wyatt, the granddaughter of Robert Schuller - the founder of the Crystal Cathedral. The book explores the collision between faith and sexuality and it is already drawing criticism. Christian book publishers passed on the book despite the Christian nature of the book, the pedigree behind the name and the best sellers that have already been written by various family members – resulting in Schuller Wyatt being forced to publish the book herself. Christian book distributors are even hesitant in selling the book. Even some of the family members are struggling with the decision. CNBC reports that Schuller Wyatt had been scheduled to speak on the Hour of Power, the family’s trademark religious program, but she was cancelled through an email from an unnamed church executive with absolutely no explanation for the reaction. Her father, however, is in full support of the book. He is quoted as saying, "Angie has tackled a subject that is taboo in Christian circles. She answers the question, 'how do women balance faith and sexuality in a real and authentic manner.’ I am disappointed that the religious establishment is not embracing her message."

In the book, Schuller Wyatt refers to a conversation that she had had with her brother over the subject of what women wear. In her opinion the church has too often relied on the “cleavage police” to curb inappropriate sexual activity. She remembers her brother commenting that “if a man is going to lust, he’s going to lust. You could put a girl in a potato sack and he’d still become aroused. It’s our own conscience that must resolve the questions of sexual expression and attire.” It seems that the author of Proverbs would agree. Proverbs 5 is the advice of a father to a son against the evils of adultery. But in the closing verse father puts the blame where it belongs. The NIV’s gender neutral language is a little unfortunate here. Clearly the rendering in the whole passage is advice to the son about a man’s responsibility in relationships. And in the closing verse as the father is speaking of a lack of discipline, it is the man and not the woman about whom he is speaking. The message that the father wants his son to understand is that he is responsible for his own sexual discipline, and the folly that he may fall into is only of his own making.

Schuller Wyatt’s book writes against the religious bullying that seems to want to make adultery the fault of the woman. It is something that the Bible never attempts to do. Each of us has always been responsible for our own sexual purity. It is a responsibility from which we have never been excused.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 6

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. – Proverbs 4:23

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 28, 2013): Proverbs 4

In 399 B.C.E. Socrates was put on trial in Athens, Greece. The charge against him was that of heresy. In particular, he was charged with encouraging his students to challenge the accepted way that things were – he encouraged his students to understand the height of learning was found in their ability for them to think for themselves. One of his students was Plato, and Plato in his writings has characterized Socrates as the gadfly of Athens. Gadfly is not a word we use often in modern culture, but it simply means someone who poses novel or upsetting questions. And that tended to be the way that Socrates taught. At his trial and in his own defense Socrates said that “the unexamined life was not worth living.” If there was one thing that Socrates wanted his students to do, it was to examine who it was that they were and what it was that they did or were expected to do. To simply go with the flow was to waste a life.

The author of Proverbs gives us a similar message. There the author tells us that we should “guard our hearts.” Socrates would probably tell us that one way to guard our hearts is to know our hearts. For the biblical writers, the heart was the center of our intelligence, our emotions and our will. Proverbs wants us to understand that because it is all of that it is also the moral compass for our lives. All of our action (and the proof of our morality is always revealed in the things that we do – it is founded in orthopraxy [right action] and not orthodoxy [right belief]) comes out of the things that we believe and think. Socrates would say that there are two ways that we can arrive at what it is that we believe or think, but only one is a worthwhile path. The lesser way is to just allow the culture around us to tell us what it is that we believe. But the second option is the more profitable course of action. We can ask ourselves the upsetting questions and examine and actively form what it is that we really believe – and let that belief guide our actions.

Christianity is not always on the edge of the movement toward self examination of the heart – but it should be. It is never enough for the Christian community to lean on its traditions and let the past inform the present. Every follower of Christ has the responsibility to examine their hearts in the light of Christ and decide what it is that they believe. The Christian traditions can be a great help in this practice, but we also need to recognize that sometime the Christian traditions are simply wrong. Our task is not to accept what has gone before, but rather to build on it as we examine the core of our own beings.

When it comes to the examination and formation of the heart – the guarding of the heart - the Apostle Paul adds these words. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). In 399, Socrates was executed. He could have opted for a lesser punishment, but he was afraid that that would only water down what is was that he had taught. The examination and guarding of the heart was an important enough issue for Socrates, the gadfly of Athens, to die for. Our question becomes is it an important enough ideal for us to live for?  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 5

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. – Proverbs 3:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 27, 2013): Proverbs 3

It is impossible to fill a glass that is already full. It is an obvious statement, but it is surprising how often we seem to miss that simple understanding. I am maybe one of the worst offenders. No matter what the container is, I seem to always think that it should fit just a little more. And no matter what the container is, the end result is always the same. At some point the container either overflows or it breaks, and everything that I have placed in the container simply falls out. There is a limit to what the container can hold – a limit that cannot be exceeded.

Proverbs points to the danger of us being filled with our own wisdom. Because if we believe that we are wise and not in need of gaining wisdom, there will be no room for the wisdom of God to take root in our lives. We have already arrived. Unfortunately, it often seems to be precisely that attitude that we think is expected of us in our culture. So we work hard at being wise – or at least in pretending that we are wise.

The reverse attitude is to fear God. The word translated fear is the Hebrew word yare' and while it does carry the connotation of being afraid of God, it also carries the meaning of standing in awe of him. We stand in awe of a God that in his being contains more wisdom than we could ever dream was possible. And it is that vast repository of wisdom that is available to us, if we are willing to recognize our own lack of wisdom. And the more empty of wisdom that we can become, the more room there is in our lives for the wisdom that can only come to us from God.

We have a choice. We can either be wise in our own eyes, or we can be heirs to God’s wisdom. But we will never be both – that is just not possible.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 4

Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. – Proverbs 2:11

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 26, 2013): Proverbs 2

We live in a world that is full of ideas. It is one of the great things about being alive. And I love to be around idea people. I just love to listen to their ideas. In fact, one of the things that bothers me is the suggestion that we have to do something this way because it has always been done that way. I have sat through meetings where an idea has been presented and the people I am meeting with are in the process of tearing apart the idea on the basis that we have never done it that way before. And I want to scream, there are a million ways that we could do something, and some of them are really good – maybe even better than the way we have always done it.

But, admittedly, some ideas are not better. And that is the challenge. So I believe that all ideas have a right to be spoken – I want to hear them. But not all ideas will work. Success exists in the space where we understand that simple fact. An idea might not work because there is something wrong in the idea itself - or it might not work because the timing of the idea is wrong. But if we want to be successful, that is something that we need to comprehend.

The author of Proverbs says that “discretion will protect you” and then the idea is repeated again – “understanding will guard you.” And the thought is that we need to learn to weigh our ideas. But I am also a big believer in experimentation. I think that ideas that might have a chance to work should at least be tried. If they don’t work, great, don’t do it again. On some level I believe that every organizational should be experimental. But sometimes some of the ideas that make no sense are the ones that will revolutionize our lives. And all of this is part of understanding and discretion.

I love the definition of insanity which simply describes the state of being insane as doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result. And according to that definition, a lot of us are insane. But maybe that is only part of the definition. Maybe another part of the definition is that insanity is not trying new things; it is the act of becoming so set in our ways that new ideas begin to scares us. Some of us would even be tempted to call that discretion. But the reality is that discretion requires understanding. Rejecting an idea simply because it is new is not discretion, it is stupidity. And we are not placed in our circles of influence so that we can be stupid.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3

For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them – Proverbs 1:32

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 25, 2013): Proverbs 1

Aristotle Onassis was once asked how much was enough? He seemed to have an almost insatiable appetite for the accumulation of wealth (and accumulation was something that he did very well.) Onassis’s famous reply to the question was one word – more. The answer has both been celebrated and treated as the response of a very immature person. For some, it reflects the very capitalist idea that happiness can only be found in the accumulation of things. But we also understand that the capital ideal of more has very seldom made us really happy.

At the same time, I have to admit that I do wonder if maybe Aristotle Onassis was right. (You were not expecting that, were you?) Maybe it is more that we were designed to chase. Not that the accumulation of things should ever be an end unto itself, but rather that the chasing after something is necessary for human life. No matter where our accumulation stands at this precise moment in time, we all seem to require a carrot and a stick – the carrot to chase and the stick to whack us from behind when we think we have enough. But we are built to work better when we have a reason to get up in the morning - having said that, we do have to be careful that we are chasing after the right things.

So Jesus told a story about a rich man who had decided that he had gained enough. So his next action was to quit the race. He would build a bigger barn to keep all of his stuff in and then sit back and eat, drink and be merry. But Jesus closes the story with the statement that the man was a fool because his life would end that very night and all of his wealth could not save him. And then this comment - “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21).  

The problem is that there are always things that we need to commit ourselves to – and while the accumulation of things may not help us, there is always good that needs to be done. So the author of proverbs makes this statement - For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them - because those who have never discovered the complexity of life will never discover the good that is left to be done. And because of that, we will discover a complacently to life that will lead them only to destruction.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 2

Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses. – 1 Kings 4:26

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 24, 2013): 1 Kings 4

I am the grandson of a fairly famous (at least in some circles) gospel singer. That fact has at times had a very peculiar effect on my life. I remember being at a camp meeting, where my grandfather was singing, and I became interested in a particular girl at the camp. And so we started to spend some time together. The problem was that her mother did not really like me. I could not understand why. I was a thin fourteen year old boy with long stringy hair and often wearing a denim vest with no shirt underneath – I mean, what is not to like. So mom would often try to stand between the two of us - attempting to keep us apart. That was, until the day that mom found out who I was – or rather who my grandfather was. All in a sudden I was her favorite kid. I was invited to the family campfire and encouraged to sit with her daughter in church. Everything – and nothing – had changed.

Our reality is that there is no one that is good. Oh, there are people that we endeavor to cast in a positive light, just as there are people that we cast in a villainous light. But no one is truly good. So maybe it should not be surprising that in the opening movements of the story of Solomon’s life we would find both the seeds of good and the seed of evil in his life. On the good side was his wisdom – something that definitely seemed to come directly from God. But we also find the negative – Solomon’s pride.

God’s desire was that Israel would come to find their dependence on him – not on their own power. So we come to this innocuous verse of Solomon’s horses and often miss the problem. The trouble is found in Deuteronomy and placed in the voice of God. - The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” (Deuteronomy 17:16) The reason for this injunction is God wanted the king to depend on him and not in his own military might. And in several places we find stories where Israel won, not because of their own military strength and ability, but rather because God decided to move on their behalf. It is obvious that Solomon has not taken God at his word.

In fact, the situation might be worse than the NIV has led us to believe. The problem is in the number – four thousand. A plain reading of this text would translate this as forty thousand horses. But a problem arises in that in a parallel verse in 2 Chronicles 9:25 the number is four thousand, resulting in argument over which number is correct. The translators of the NIV have resolved the problem by using the number found in 2 Chronicles. But, in context, this verse seems to be about bragging about Solomon’s great affluence and power. In two other disputed passages in the Books of Samuel, the Philistines may have had as many as 30,000 horses and the Syrians 40,000 horses. If those numbers are correct, then maybe the 40,000 horses is a better reading here.

But, regardless of the four thousand or the forty thousand, Solomon’s pride was already threatening to become his ruin – ruin that was symbolized by a great number of horses.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 1

Note: The VantagePoint Community Church (Edmonton) message "Abandoned" from the series "Blood, Sweat and Tears" is now available on the VantagePoint website. You can find it here.

Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. – 1 Kings 3:16

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 23, 2013): 1 Kings 3

There was once a Thracian king (Ancient Greece) who was known for his great wisdom. People came to him from all over the known world to help them decide wisely in their most difficult situations. During his reign a neighboring Cimmerian king died. And in Crimea there was a struggle for power and the ascension of the dead king’s throne. It became quickly apparent that the dead king’s son and heir had been kept in seclusion, probably out of the desire that he could simply be a child until the time would come when he would have to step up and be the king. Once he became king, the father knew from experience that his life would no longer be his own – so for now he could just live as the son of the father. But a problem arose when the father died. Since no one knew who the son was, there were three sons of a father that stepped forward claiming to be the heir.

It was this situation that was brought before the wise Thracian king. The question was which of these sons of a father was also the heir of the dead king? And the wise king pondered the question. Finally he ordered the corpse of the dead king to be brought before him. Each of the potential heirs was ordered to show their fitness for power by throwing a spear into the body of the dead ruler. Immediately one of men stepped forward and, after grabbing a sword, thrust the sword tip deep into the ruler’s dead body. Then second man quickly followed, berating himself for the momentary hesitation which had stopped him from being the first to show his kingly ability. But the third man just stood there, tears streaming down his face. Finally, he simply turned and walked away. And as he stepped away, the Thracian king pointed at the third man and said “The crown belongs to him. He is the son – and heir - of the dead Cimmerian king.”

It is an ancient story. And one that is very similar to the one that we read in the history of Solomon. But there are some very important differences. One is simply that it is two women that were brought before the king. Women had no voice in the culture, and yet Solomon was willing to hear them. The word that we have translated as prostitute is unclear. As with the story of Rahab, an innkeeper is also a possibility. But what we do know is that neither of the women were married – because if they were it would have been their husbands that would have appeared before Solomon – and that they lived together. If they were prostitutes, they were unusual ones, because in this day it is very unlikely that they would have cared about who it was that was the mother of the child or who it was that would raise the child.

And the second difference is that this is a story about a child. Again, in ancient times children were not valued – primarily because their deaths were not infrequent. So the basis of this story, that a king would take time to decide over the guardian of a child, was almost unimaginable. It brings to mind another unimaginable story in the New Testament where Jesus instructed the disciples to allow little children should be brought before him. And yet the story exists. It focuses us on the reality that the God has never been content to let culture be. He always desires to press us on toward something else – something more – a higher view of all people.            

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 4

So he continued, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.” – 1 Kings 2:17

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 22, 2013): 1 Kings 2

A friend of mine made a comment recently that when God closes a door, he always opens a window. The thought goes along with the dominant belief of the culture in which we live - a culture where we think that there is always a way to get whatever it is that we want. When we fail, we just have to look for another way to get what it is that our heart desires – and often what it is that we believe that we deserve.

For a moment, Adonijah had been king. It was a position that he had yearned for – and a position of which he felt that he was worthy. But he had only been king for a moment of time. It seemed that David had promised this position to someone other than his oldest surviving son and rightful heir. And so Adonijah stepped down from his what he considered to be his throne – after all, it was the will of his father and his father’s God – but he had never given up on his aspiration to be king. He simply had to find another way.

So he goes to Bathsheba and he pretends that he is content with his position in life. His only request is that he could have a young woman named Abishag to be his wife. The problem was that while the writer of 1 Kings makes it clear that Abishag had never had sex with King David, she had shared his bed. Abishag was the young virgin bed warmer that had been brought for the king during his final days. And while Abishag had never been sexually involved with the king she was still part of the king’s harem. According to custom, whoever was in possession of harem of king was also in possession of the power of the king. Adonijah felt that with the door firmly closed in his face by Solomon that he had found the window that he needed.

But our reality is that sometimes when God closes a door, he does not always open a window. He needs us to find a different room. It was not that Adonijah never had a place in the plans that God had for Israel, it was just that his place would not be as king of the nation. It was a different room that was open for Adonijah. But Adonijah’s problem was that his focus was on a room that he could never have - so he was unable to walk into the future that God had prepared just for him.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 3

Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it? – 1 Kings 1:11

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 21, 2013): 1 Kings 1

There are so many things that a leader just does not know. One of my pet peeves are those that gather around any leader and just assume that they know what is going on. The bigger the organization is, the less likely that is to be true. And those that want to usurp authority will always make sure that their actions are done outside the view of the one that is in charge. When the leader is sick, then the situation is magnified.

David was sick and close to death. Because of his health situation, the day to day running of the nation was now being taken care of by people other than David. For this moment in time, David had become king in name only. And so it is into this leadership vacuum that David’s son Adonijah steps. He was the logical choice to replace his father as king. He is now the oldest surviving son of David and he probably considers the rule part of the right that goes along with that position in the family. His ascension was logical, except that God seldom seems to go along with our version of logic.

We have no record of the promise that David had made to Bathsheba that Solomon would ascend the throne after his death, but we do have confirmation in 1 Chronicles 22 (admittedly an account that was not written until the time of the Babylonian captivity) that that was David’s intention. The promise was probably intended to make up for the loss of both Bathsheba’s husband and first born, both of whom had died as a direct result of David’s action. But regardless of the reason, David had made a promise to Bathsheba that Solomon would reign as the next king over Israel.

It is evident from the story that David knew nothing of the attempt of Adonijah to become king. Many of the advisors that David was counting on would seem to have changed their priorities from the sitting king to the one that would become king, and in this way they were protecting their own political positions. Bathsheba had retired and was no longer involved in the day to day running of the country, so it was quite probable that she also knew nothing of Adonijah attempt to become king. Bathsheba was also naive enough to have simply believed that what David had promised would come to pass, and it was not a matter that she would need to be worried about. Solomon probably knew of Adonijah’s attempt, but he seems to have been truly David’s son, reflecting the character traits of his father more than any of the other princes of the nation. Solomon seemed to be quite content to simply wait on God to move in the matter of who it was that would become king. So the responsibility fell onto the shoulders of the prophet Nathan to move. Nathan knew both God’s will as well as David’s. And he understood the danger in the situation that was developing. If Adonijah became king, both Bathsheba’s and Solomon’s lives would be forfeit. That was something that needed to be prevented – and so it was time for Nathan to move. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 2

The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. – Psalm 145:9

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 20, 2013): Psalm 145

Rob Bell has just released his new book “What We Talk About When We Talk About God.” It probably promises to be a little less controversial than his last book “Love Wins” – but only a little. And I hate going over old ground, but I am still a little bothered by “Love Wins” – let me rephrase that – I am bothered by the Christian response to Rob’s last book. For those who have had their heads buried under a rock for the past year and a little bit, “Love Wins” discussed the possibility that someday hell will be empty (not that there is no hell, which some have charged). But the basic idea of the book is that if God is all powerful he can do whatever it is that he wants to do. And one of the things that God wants is that all will be saved - one of God’s most basic desires is that hell will be – at some point in time - empty. If this is true – and there is ample scriptural evidence for both of these statements – then does it not follow that, someday, God will get what he wants?

The Christian community reacted to this statement with anger and fear. It was as if their purpose had suddenly disappeared. They could no longer look at their neighbours and sing the children’s song “Na-na-na-na-na, I am going to heaven and you’re not.” For me, what I heard come out of the Christian community in the aftermath of “Love Wins” was this hope that some of the people – mostly their enemies – would find themselves in hell. If we are going to have to suffer the indignities brought on us by our enemies in this life, at least we can be assured that they are the ones that will be punished in the next life.  

Yet, there are passages in the Bible that invite us into a Bellian belief. And too often when we come to these passages we find that we interpret them by saying that the author really meant something very different from what the words say. And this passage is a good example. What we want this passage to say is that God loves all that follow him – or that God loves all who believe in him and have ordered their steps according to him – everyone else God hates. But that is not what the verse says. It is amazing to me that those who demand a straight forward reading of the text for most of the Bible do not want to hear that reading here. Because if we just accept these words, what they say is that God loves and is compassionate to everything that he has created. If we take this verse at face value, it leads us to believe that God possibly even loves Judas and Satan – because they too were created by his hands.   

I need to be up front. I am not sure that Rob Bell is right. But I also have to admit that somewhere deep in the core of my being is a child that is wishing and hoping that he is. And I have been very public in saying that I support anyone who is willing to stand up and say that love is tangible and has a real effect on our lives. I want desperately to believe that if I hit you with a two-by-four or I hit you with love - that both will have a very real effect on your life. And if my love has made a difference, God’s love and compassion is a tidal wave that will totally redesign the world in which we live now – and forever.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 1

Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners. – Psalm 144:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 19, 2013): Psalm 144

I have had a couple of instances in my life where I almost drowned. Now, having said that, I also have to admit my close calls were not because I cannot swim - I am not a stranger to the water. I can swim and, although I will not win any races, I am fully capable of keeping my head above the waves. But both times that I came close to drowning, something unexpected had happened. And in both cases the only reason why drowning did not occur was because someone was there to give me their hand and get me to safety.

In one of these instances I had to be taken a local hospital. I had inhaled enough water that my lungs were bruised and my body was no longer processing the oxygen that it needed to survive. And it was in the intensive care ward of the hospital that I heard the stories of those that were not as lucky as I was. This hospital in a resort town saw so many near drowning victims that it had become the authority in dealing with these kinds of situations. This is where the experts had come to practice medicine strictly because of the number of water accidents that this hospital was responsible for in the course of a year. Water was both the reason why people came to this town, and the most dangerous thing about the town.

People drown because they are unprepared for the water, but that is not the only reason why the water is dangerous. (In both of my situations I was prepared for the water – I could swim and I was wearing a properly fitting life jacket.) Sometimes people die in the water because the water is, by its own nature, unpredictable. In the bible, water is used to symbolize chaos – it illustrates the unpredictable nature of this world.

David prays that God will deliver him from the chaos of life. That it will be his hand that reaches down into his life and pulls him out. But for me, this verse also has a bit of tension. It contains this idea that David is existing in chaos and needs to be delivered, but also that the ones that are creating the chaos around him are foreigners – or more literally foreign or strange children. So David needs to be delivered, but the ones that he needs to be delivered from are themselves vulnerable – they are children. One thing that I understand about children is that often they act without understanding – they bring chaos into the places where they have influence, And this creates a tension.

In my life, this I know – I stand in the same place as David. I have a need to be delivered from the chaos of this world – I need a hand that will reach down and touch me. But I also know that the ones creating the chaos stand in need of that same hand. And maybe as God reaches out to drag me out of the chaos, it is my job to reach and grab hold of the strange children around me that are the creators of the chaos.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 145

In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant. – Psalm 143:12

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 18, 2013): Psalm 143

Something has to die. It is the unfortunate reality in our lives. Everywhere we look there is a choice – and something will live as a result of that choice, but something will also die. It is the common story of those who have done great things among us – people who have excelled at some part of life – the reality is that in the process of becoming great, something was left behind, and what was left behind has died. At the very least we have to begin a process of compartmentalizing life. So when I look at someone like Shaquille O’Neal, in one compartment of his life he became a great basketball player. And my guess if he is like the rest of us, a lot of other things had to die so that he could hone his skill at basketball (okay, some of us wish that he could have practiced free throws a little more – but we ask for too much.) But as the basketball compartment started to wind down, Shaquille simply opened up a new compartment and started work on his Doctor of Education. And now, with the title of Doctor in front of his name he says that he is going to go to Law School. But the reality is that for the period of time that he was becoming great in a certain area – everything else had to be put on hold.

This is not a new reality. David understood it all too well. Over and over again in life we wanted two things to be present in his life. In the beginning, David wanted to fulfill his destiny as the new king of Israel and for King Saul and his best friend Jonathan to live. But in the end he came to the realization that that was impossible. Something had to die – either his dream of his destiny as king or his friend and his friend’s father – the current king. For David to have both was impossible. Later it was his desire for God and this desire for a beautiful woman married to one of his soldiers. David wanted both God and Bathsheba, but all through the story we recognize that death is hiding in the wings. In the battle with his son Absalom, David wants more than anything to be allowed to protect both the nation and his son, but that also proved impossible. And in one of the toughest decisions of his life, David had to let go of Absalom so that the nation of Israel could continue. At each stage, something had to die.

So it is with this reality in his mind that David prays for his enemies to be destroyed. Because he knows as his life nears the end that two opposite things cannot survive. And if David was going to commit his life to the things of God, things that were against God were going to have to die.

Deep down it is a message that I know is true, but I fight against it as much as David did. I want to be a renaissance man, someone who is good at many things. The idea that two passions in my life cannot exist together is a hard one for me. But especially when I come to the realization that God has called me to a certain path, I know that every other desire has to pass away.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 144

Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety. – Psalm 141:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 17, 2013): Psalm 140 & 141

When I was a child one of my favorite T.V. Shows was the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour. In fact, it was one of the rare shows that would allow supper to be moved from the kitchen into the living room. For one hour a week the family would gather to watch Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, Tweety Bird and the Puddy Tat, and the rest of the gang make fools of themselves for our entertainment. Personally, my favorite was the Bugs Bunny portion of the show, but there was something captivating about the Road Runner’s escapades as he tried to escape the crafty Wile E. Coyote. The plot was always the same. Wile E. Coyote wants to capture the Road Runner. Wile E. Coyote sets a trap for the Road Runner. The Road Runner evades Wile E. Coyote’s trap. Wile E. Coyote forgets about the trap and while settling into the chase of the Road Runner falls into his own trap. The only thing that changed in the different episodes was the trap. Everything else remained the same. And we watched and laughed anyway.

David prays a prayer of protection over his life. This prayer of David could really have been called the Road Runner Prayer – because all that David is asking for is for the plot of every Road Runner episode to be played out in his life – with David playing the part of the Road Runner and David’s various adversaries in the role of Wile E. Coyote.

And in some ways, the Road Runner prayer was successful in David’s life. Oh, he suffered the indignities of attacks and the stresses of war – he was betrayed by those who were closest to him, but in the end the traps were set, but it was his opponents that ended up being the victims in their own traps. As for David, he would die peacefully in his bed in his old age - just as the Road Runner will die when his running is finally at an end.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 143

Note: The VantagePoint Community Church (Edmonton) message "Adopted" from the series "Blood, Sweat and Tears" is available on the VantagePoint website. Craig Traynor is speaking and you can find it here.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? Psalm 139:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 16, 2013): Psalm 139

There is a mythical story about a teacher that had been heavily influenced by the philosophies of the “God is Dead” movement. Having achieved the epiphany that in reality there really was no God he walked into his classroom and wrote on the blackboard “GOD IS NOWHERE.” At no time during the class did he open up the statement for discussion. It was simply a fact that his students needed to understand – everything in this life was left up to a combination of their own personal efforts and chance – there was no God to whom the students should pray.

But according to the story, at one of the breaks in the class, one of the students decided that discussion was important. This unknown student slipped up to the blackboard and simply drew a line – totally changing the meaning of the teacher’s words. The phrase now read – “GOD IS NOW/HERE”

It is the persistent challenge of man since the beginning of our existence. Once man evolved to the point where independent thought was possible - once our intelligence grew to the point where we could begin to have a rudimentary knowledge of the universe – the argument began over the idea that “God is nowhere” and “God is now here.” Even in the biblical creation epic, after sin enters the world Adam and Eve try to make the transition from “God is now here” and therefore we walk with him in the garden in the cool of the day, to “God is nowhere” and, therefore, I can hide from him and act as if he never existed. It is the challenge of every church that I am aware of, where people come and act on Sunday as if “God is now here,” but from Monday to Saturday operates as if “God is nowhere.”

Again, these psalms of David were written late in David’s life. He had the privilege of looking back at his life and examine the events that had taken place. David’s life was not without “spot or wrinkle.” In his memory there were many things that he was to blame for and that he wished he could change, but that is not an option for David – or any of us. But the one constant was that he had experienced a God that was now here, even in the moments when he wished that God was nowhere. And so as he pens this Psalm, he asks the question that had plagued him all of his life – how can I hide from God?

My reality is that God is now here. I agree with David, there is no place available to me where I can hide from him – even when every fiber of my being wishes that there was. God is now here - and that is a game changer. No matter what it is that you believe; God is now here is the spiritual truth under which you act. And he will do one of two things in your life – he will sit quietly in the background and simply watch you live, or he will actively come and help you be all that you can – and want - to be. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 140 & 141

The LORD will vindicate me; your love, LORD, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands. – Psalm 138:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 15, 2013): Psalm 138

One of the phrases that young lovers seem to use is the idea that the other person “completes” them. The idea is that they were incomplete before the relationship began, but like two puzzle pieces the couple fits together, when they combine they tell more of the story. And there is a level where I can say that I understand that. I know that my wife has very different gifting than I have – that together we tell a more complete story. But there is a level where I hope that all of my relationships are that way. The friends that I have gathered around me are very different from me – and that is partially why the relationship works.

But I am not sure that just because I have gathered people around me that they in any way complete me. I actually rebel against that thought. I am complete all by myself, and it is that sense of completeness that brings value into my relationship with my wife and with my relationships with my friends. Too often we enter into relationships wanted to be completed by the other, but instead of completion we develop an unhealthy level of co-dependence with them. And that in turn leads us into some very unhealthy decisions.

David writes in this passage that because God loves him, he will vindicate him. The word used in the passage –gamar- is a little elusive. Other translations have interpreted the word with the idea of “fulfilling the purpose that God has placed inside of me.” But in the context a better interpretation of the word might be that “God completes me” or “God brings completion to me.”  Our reality is that other people – no matter how much we may desire to be romantically linked to them – can never complete, because they in themselves are not complete. That task lies only with God. He is the one that brings real completion to our lives.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 139

The LORD says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” – Psalm 110:1

Today’s  Scripture Reading (March 14, 2013): Psalm 110

In the late seventies and early eighties there was a serious belief by social scientists that the future was going to present us with a significant decrease in the work week and a corresponding increase in leisure time. The reasoning was that with all of the technological advances that were being made, the hours needed for actual work would be significantly less. It was a prophecy that was only partially fulfilled – and one of the reasons was that the predictors seemed to forget that fewer hours would also mean less money. Instead of an increase in leisure time, the actual result of the decrease in working hours was that people began to need to work multiple jobs to earn the money necessary to live – and a corresponding decrease in the leisure time available to the individual.  

One of the problems with art of forecasting the future is that the future never really makes sense until it becomes the past. So it is with this in mind that this passage has received a lot of attention within the Christian Church. David speaks of his “lord” (adown) sitting down at the right hand of his “Lord” (Yehovah). The language would seem to indicate that his lord (often used to indicate a human master) would sit down at the right hand of his “Lord” (or God) - two very different words to indicate two very different people. For the Christian reading this Psalm, this was a clear indication of the Messiah – the one who would be a descendant or son of David and the one who was fully human and fully God.

For the Christian, it also does not hurt this application of the Psalm that Jesus himself identified with this passage. In response to the skepticism of the Pharisees, Jesus himself quoted this verse asking how David could address his son by saying that he was his lord – his human master. The question is how could a son be elevated above the father? It was a question that according to the Matthew (Matthew 22:41-46) was met with silence.

But if the question is whether or not David fully understood what it was that he was writing, the answer has to be no. Prophecy does not work that way. In this Psalm David acts as both a prophet and a poet. As a prophet he writes under the influence of the Holy Spirit things that are beyond both his understanding and his experience. As a poet he uses powerful imagery to describe what it is that Holy Spirit is telling him. The result is this powerful Messianic image that would only be fully understood after the ministry of Jesus Christ. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 138

Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand. – Psalm 109:6

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 13, 2013): Psalm 109

A few years ago I went with a friend who was being tried in a local court. It was not a major trial, but a rather minor matter that was being tried by a judge alone - along with a number of other complaints against other people. We were instructed to be at the courthouse for the afternoon session, but my friend ended up being the last person on the afternoon docket, so it was closer to five o’clock before he was called to stand before the judge. I admit that I was a bit concerned before he was tried because I had noticed two things during the afternoon session. The first was that there were a number of people that were being accused of what I considered to be worse crimes than my friend – and they were getting fairly light sentences. Specifically I remember one man that was found guilty of being drunk and while he was drunk he tried to accost his girlfriend, he broke the window that led into his girlfriend’s mother’s bedroom – with a baby sleeping beneath the window – and when the police showed up, he tried to beat up two officers. And when the judge handed down the verdict he was sentenced to six weekends in prison; weekends so that he could continue to work. So I was encouraged that maybe my friend would be let off with a light sentence. But the second thing that I noticed was that the sentences were getting harder the later the afternoon went. It was like right after lunch, the judge was open to anything, but the hungrier he got – the angrier he became.

This psalm opens up with a court scene. James Burton Coffman entitles this Psalm “The Most Terrible Psalm in the Whole Psalter” and repeatedly scholars have made assertions that this passage is entirely descriptive, and not prescriptive. And what that means is that there are certain passages in the Bible that simply describe what happened – and these passages are never intended to tell us that this is the way that we should live. One of the things that I like about the Bible is that it never pulls it punches. The characters of the Bible are presented with all of their good and all of their bad. In this case, David is seen wrapped up in all of his bitterness about the people that do not like him. What this psalm is not saying is that we should all be as bitter David was – it was simply the way that David felt at this point in time.

So David prays to God for two things. The first was that his enemy would be brought before an evil judge (or maybe one that is hungry late in the afternoon.) But the intent is that his enemies should be brought before a judge that would give to them the maximum penalty. And the second petition that David makes is that the one that stands at their right hand in the court – the place where the defender would normally stand – that this person would be one that is going to bring more accusations, rather than a defense, before the judge – literally, that the defender would be like Satan.

In the New Testament, Jesus would turn this teaching upside down as he taught us to love those that persecute us, but the Bible is not naive. It recognizes that the reverse teaching of Jesus is often easier, and even men like David seem to be vulnerable to fall into its trap.    

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 110

Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? – Psalm 108:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 12, 2013): Psalm 108

I remember standing outside my Junior High School (or Middle School) and watching the cars pass in front of me. Sir John A. MacDonald Junior High School sits on a fairly busy corner of a large city, so part of what I was doing was watching the cars go by. I was probably about twelve years of age and I wanted more than anything to be the one behind the wheel of one of the vehicles that I was watching pass in front of me. I could not wait until the day came when I would be able to drive – but I was also not confident that I had the ability to keep the car within the lines painted on the road. As a twelve year old, it seemed to me to be an impossible task (but one that I could not wait to try.) Two short years later, with my Dad sitting beside me and my brand new learner’s permit in my wallet, I had the opportunity to try to drive a car. And it did not seem to take long before I felt like I was a master at the job of keeping the car between the painted lines. What was impossible, had quickly become possible.

I play the guitar (or at least I try to.) And I have to admit that there are songs that I have given up trying to play because they are just too hard (or I might even say – impossible.) Yet, I also know that every once in a while I have tried to play songs that I once thought were impossible for me to play – and I realized that I could play the song. Something happened in my guitar playing abilities so that the impossible once again became the possible.

David asks God’s question in this Psalm. The question is this – who is it that is willing to go into Edom and enter into the fortified city. Edom was an enemy of Israel, so entering into the country all by itself was an act of war. And there is no doubt about the city that David was talking about. It was Petra. Petra was a city built among the rocks in the country of Edom – just across the border from Israel. Edom was not content to allow Israel to exist as a nation – but to attack Edom you had to attack Petra – and that was impossible. So the real question that God was asking Israel was this – who is it among you that is willing to attempt the impossible for me. I think it is probable that as David wrote down God’s question that his own memory returned to a day decades earlier when a young boy walked out against a giant named Goliath to meet him in battle. It was an impossible task, and yet David did not even consider not attempting it. If God was with him, there was no way that he could fail.

Will you attempt the impossible for me is a question that God continues to ask. The truth is that while Petra eventually fell and became a historic footnote, in every day of our lives there seems to be something that God wants us to do that seems impossible. And the message that we need to hear is that we cannot allow ourselves to be defined by the things that we consider to be impossible – because with effort even the impossible can fall before us – and the God who sets the impossible in front of us has always been known in history as the God of the Impossible. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 109

Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. – Psalm 103:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 11, 2013): Psalm 103

There is a soundtrack to my life. I am not sure if everybody’s life is like that, but there are songs that take me back to a particular period in my life. And sometimes, when I am confronted with an idea or a circumstance, it is a song that comes rushing back to me. So, whenever I read Psalm 103 it is an old Andrae Crouch song that I start to sing. I think the reason is that I grew up in what we would call a traditional church. I have always been wired towards music (I grew up in a very musical family) and so my favorite part of the church service was the singing of the songs. But the music in my church was old. And so I liked some it and tolerated other parts of it (but all of the music trumped the sermon.) In the hymnal that we used, there were a few newer pieces (and newer is a relative word) and a couple of those songs were written by Andrae Crouch. So it was a great day when the worship music included one of those songs. One of the newer Crouch songs was called “Bless the Lord” and it quotes Psalm 103:1 in the King James Version language – “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”

But bless is kind of a weird word (the NIV’s “praise” is a bit easier to understand) when it comes to our response to God. When God blesses us, he adds something substantial to our lives. But that is not what happens when we bless God. When God receives our blessing, there is nothing that is added to God. All that our blessing does is recognize the absolute richness that is available in God. Our blessing of God recognizes the incredible wealth that exists in the person of God. David writes that his praise arises from the deepest part of his soul – we might call it the core of his being. What that meant was that no matter what was happening in the external parts of his life and whatever was being said about God, deep down David knew exactly who God was. And when we are able to bless or praise God from the deepest parts of our lives, there is a confidence that exudes out of us automatically.

Perry Noble (Newspring Church) makes this observation, sometimes Christians just look mad. They are judgmental and critical in nature – and none of them looking like they are having any fun. In fact, sometimes it seems that they walk out of church grouchier than they were when they went in. And he is absolutely right – but I would assert that no Christian that lives a life like that (and I have to admit that there are a lot of them) has learned to praise or bless God from the inmost part of his being. Recognizing who God is would seem to preclude the idea of a grouchy Christian.

More recently, Matt Redman has written a song that is also based on Psalm 103. He calls his song “10,000 Reasons” and he says the song is the biggest understatement of life. When we understand how great and good that God is – how can we not praise him? And there are many more reasons than just the 10,000 mentioned in the song. And Matt is right. When we understand God in the core of our being – praise becomes our automatic response and a naturally critical group of people are filled with an unspeakable joy. It is the natural response that comes from blessing God in the deepest part of your soul.     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 108

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my Dad – who I know loves both Andrae Crouch’s “Bless the Lord” and Matt Redman’s “10,000 Reasons.” I hope you have a great day! 

I will be careful to lead a blameless life — when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. – Psalm 101:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 10, 2013): Psalm 101

I find that I continually have to admit my struggle with the mystical. More than anything, I want to be logical and prepared for the things that this life is going to confront me with – and yet I am also constantly reminded that God often chooses not to work that way. There is something about our spiritual lives that comes from outside of us – something that we have no control over. Maybe that is the reason why the pastors who are responsible for growing huge ministries often seem to have no idea why or how the ministry grew. It just seemed to happen. The truth of our spiritual lives is that there is no way that we can force God to move. God moves when – and where – he decides to move. And sometimes all we can do is wait for God to move in our lives.

David writes that he “will be careful to lead a blameless life.” But then he follows up that statement with a question – “when will you come?” There are those that would like to use this verse to argue for an early date to the writing of the Psalm. The argument is that the Psalm was written during the time that David was waiting for the Ark of the Covenant to be moved into Jerusalem – an event that happened early in David’s time as king. But I think a better explanation might be that the two statements should be connected – because that is the reality that we know. We want to be careful to lead a blameless life. We never want to do the stupid things that we do. And yet – we do them. We commit the crime. And all of this was something that David was very acquainted with.

David knew that the act of leading a life that was blameless was impossible in his own strength. He had tried – and failed. The only hope David had for being blameless was for God to show up. And so David was waiting for God to come - his prayer was that God would come and make him blameless – make him holy (set apart for a purpose.)

It is the spiritual mystery that we all live in the midst of. We want to be good, but the reality is that we experientially understand Jesus comment that no one is good except the Father. And if we want to be blameless, that level of good is only possible if we invite God to show up in our lives.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 103

Note: The VantagePoint (Edmonton) sermon "You With Me" from the series "Blood, Sweat and Tears" is available on the VantagePoint website. You can find it here.

Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God ... Psalm 86:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 9, 2013): Psalm 86

I watched “Hart’s War” a little while back. The movie is set in World War II and stars Bruce Willis (I admit that I love to watch his movies) and Colin Farrell. But I also have to admit that I cannot watch the movie without thinking about Jonathan Brandis – whose name appears in the credits, but whose scenes were cut from the movie. Jonathan Brandis was another actor that I liked to watch do anything. Brandis committed suicide on November 11, 2003 (he was officially declared dead the next day.) Jonathan’s friends have said that he was depressed over the way that his career was progressing, and having his scenes removed from “Hart’s War,” a movie that he had hoped would be a comeback opportunity for him, was the last straw. Brandis seemed to believe that his life was without purpose, and so he hung himself. He was twenty-seven years old.

David asks God to guard his life because he was faithful. The word that is translated “faithful” is “chaciyd.” Some versions have translated this word as “godly,” but the King James Version uses the word “holy.” And if we can separate the religiosity away from this very religious word, I think I prefer the use of “holy” in this passage. Godly and faithful both have an element of something that I have done in them, but I can never be holy unless God does something in my life. And all that holy really means is that God has made me different and set me aside for a purpose. I may not always understand my purpose, but I am confident that it is there.

To live this life we need purpose. In fact, we cannot survive without it. It is the thing that keeps getting us out of bed in the morning. It is the sense that there is still something that I have to do – a task that I still need to complete. And it is something that I believe very strongly. If you are breathing as you read this, God has a purpose for you – a reason for you to be here. And he is the one that is making you holy – setting you aside for that purpose. It is something that we all need an understanding of.

Jonathan Brandis is missed by his friends, family, and fans. But the saddest part is that somehow he lost sight of the incredible purpose that his life held. It is a cautionary tale that we all need to take heed of – we need to recognize our own personal purpose and the purposes of those who live out their lives close to us. We need to continually remind each other that god has made us holy; that we have all been set aside for a very special purpose.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 101

This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse. – Psalm 72:20

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 8, 2013): Psalm 72

Most of us share a common dream. It is that our kids will succeed in areas that we find important, but in ways where we could never be successful. We want our kids to have a better life than we did. I desire for my kids – and now my grandchildren – all of the successes that I was never able to achieve. But for the first time in generations, that dream is in doubt. As much as I want them to have a better life, the reality is that they might have to work harder just to achieve the same things that I have achieved in life.

A number of years ago I was sitting in a small group Bible study on the book of Revelation and the discussion quickly turned to the authorship of the book (and yes, I realize that this seems to be a severe change in topic from the first paragraph – but hang with me.) Now, authorship of some of the books of the Bible can be an open question, but generally the question over the authorship of Revelation hovers around the question of which John wrote it. But on this night someone had decided to suggest that the book was written by Paul. The problem with the suggestion was that there is absolutely no evidence of Pauline authorship. And you have to ignore the opening of the book which in that day would often tell us who wrote the book (or who someone wants us to think wrote the book.) In the case of the book of Revelation, this opening is found in the fourth verse of the first chapter - John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia.

Psalm 72 offers us a similar problem. The ascription of the Psalm would seem to point towards Solomon as the author of the Psalm, but the final line of the Psalm seems to indicate that the author was not Solomon, but rather his father, David.

When we read Psalm 71 and 72 together, we get a very significant prayer. The first part of the prayer deals with the concerns of David as his life draws to a close, but the second part of the prayer turns to his concern over his son – the one who would be king. Psalm 72 is essentially David’s prayer of concern over his son. 

And these two psalms, taken together, form the prayers of David, the son of Jesse.

If this is true, then the ascription in Psalm 72 should be read as a change in the course of the prayer. Part one was about David, and although Solomon was part of what David had in mind even as he prayed those words, part two begins to reflect the reality of what David is hoping for in the reign of his son. In his son, David is hoping for all of the things that he could not be and all of the accomplishments that he could not fulfill – that God would allow those things to be fulfilled in the reign of Solomon, the beloved son of King David.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 86