He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all the idols Manasseh had made. – 2 Chronicles 33:22

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 31, 2014): 2 Chronicles 33

Polycarp was the Bishop of Smyrna during the second century, but at the age of 86, the Bishop was arrested for crimes against the faith. The actual charge was that he was an atheist because Polycarp refused to believe in the Roman pantheon of gods. So Polycarp is finally arrested and sentenced to death. But there is very little honor in executing an aged man. So repeatedly Polycarp was offered the chance to change his mind – to curse Christ and swear allegiance to Caesar and the gods of the land. But the Bishop of Smyrna refused. His famous reply to his captors was “Eighty and six years I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King and Saviour? Bring forth what you will.” In the end, Polycarp was executed on Saturday, February 23, 156 C.E. in Smyrna, a port city in what is now Modern Turkey.    

If there is a lesson to be learned from the life of Manasseh of Judah, it might be found in this passage. Manasseh’s reign really needs to be divided into two parts. For the first part of his reign, Manasseh was one of the most evil kings that Judah had known. Rabbinic literature even credits Manasseh with the execution of the aging prophet Isaiah. Like the execution of Polycarp, it would seem that there would have been little honor in the execution. But complicating the issue even further is the fact that Isaiah was likely related to Manasseh – possibly an older cousin (or more precisely a cousin of his grandfather or great grandfather.)

But late in his life, there is a change in Manasseh. He stops worshipping at the altar of pagan gods. He repents of the things that he had done earlier in his reign. He takes down the worship sites and dedicates his life the God of Israel. But apparently the change comes too late for his son, Amon. Upon Manasseh’s death, Amon rises to the position of king and takes up the evil of the early part of Manasseh’s reign rather than the good of the last portion of Manasseh’s reign. The example set by Manasseh in the setting up of the altars for false gods and the execution of Isaiah seemed to be too much. While Manasseh recovered from his own evil, his son did not.

Often in Western Christianity, we seem to come to the conclusion that as long as we repent before we die, that is all that matters. But that is not really true. Yes, like Manasseh, we can come to God late and he will honor us. But for the sake of those around us, that example late in life might be too late to matter. For those that are watching us, there is a reason for us to live godly lives for the length of our lives. And there is nothing better than to have a testimony like that of Polycarp, and be able to say that “I have served him all of my life and he has never turned his back on me. How can I turn my back on him?” It is this lifelong testimony that changes the world – and it changes the lives of our children – the ones who are watching and learning from the actions of our lives. While turning to Christ in the last moment of our lives will save us from any eternal punishment, turning to Christ early will change the lives of those around us – especially of those closest to us. They need our example – and they need it now.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 34

“I am against you,” declares the LORD Almighty. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame.” – Nahum 3:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 30, 2014): Nahum 3

Primo Levi, an Italian Jew, spent the last months of WWII in the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. He was interred into the camp in February 1944 and remained there until the camp was liberated on January 27, 1945. He recalls his experiences in Auschwitz in his book entitled “If This is a Man.” In the book he tells the story of those who were incarcerated. The story starts with being shipped to Auschwitz in cattle cars that were so packed with people that the prisoners had to stand, and they were so close together that they couldn’t move and could barely breathe. Once in the camp they were stripped of all of their possessions, including clothing. Then, naked, the first selection would happen. Those prisoners not chosen to die in that selection, are then herded into another room where they are forced to stand for hours on end, still naked, awaiting whatever it was that was coming next. The next step of the process was to remove their name and replace it with a number that was tattooed onto them. It was by that number that they would now be known. Then they were finally given clothing to cover themselves, if it what they were given could be called clothing. Actually they were rags that had been worn by other prisoners until the time of their execution. Now these rags were theirs to wear until they shared the same fate as those who had previously worn the rags. Finally they were given a bunk, barely big enough for one person, and yet it was expected that two would sleep in these beds. The whole process was designed to degrade and remove the humanity from the prisoner.

Unfortunately the concentration camps of WWII were not the first places where these tactics were used. In ancient warfare, the dual practice of massacring the prisoners or degrading the ones chosen for life resulted often in people who were willing to fight until there very last breath. There was no expectation of humane treatment on the part of the conquering army – only death and the removal of their humanity of the captive. It was this devaluing that allowed for atrocities to be committed because anything could be done to someone who was less than human.

Nahum speaks earlier of the defeat of Nineveh. But in this passage he is speaking of the humiliation of Nineveh. And there are two factors to this humiliation. Maybe the most obvious is a revealing of the body. In saying that the skirts of the Ninevites would be lifted, Nahum is speaking to the forced nakedness of the captives. There is a removal of modesty by the compelled exposure of what would normally be covered. For many, this might have been the worst moment of their lives. And this would result in the dehumanization of the person. But the second part of this dehumanization is that the face is covered. Essentially this is like the removal of the name in Auschwitz. Everything that makes you, you, would be taken away. The individual once known by a name is no more. What is left is something that has been devalued and because of that devaluation, anything is proper in the disposing of what is left.     

It should be noted that Primo Levi tells the story of the dehumanization in the concentration camps during WWII, but the theme of the book is really humanity in the midst of inhumanity. For some, no matter what was taken from them, they refused to be dehumanized. The nakedness and the shame for these people was not revealed in them, but rather revealed in the ones that who attempted to remove their humanity. In the midst of this kind of dehumanization, people of faith can often look beyond themselves to find their humanity. But because Nineveh had rejected God, it might be that this option was not open to them. They had found their humanity in their strength, and when it is removed, there is literally nothing left for the captives to hang on to.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 33

Nineveh summons her picked troops, yet they stumble on their way. They dash to the city wall; the protective shield is put in place. – Nahum 2:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 29, 2014): Nahum 2

Nineveh was one of the first cities. It was one of the early places where people congregated together way back in the beginning of the history of the story of us. The city itself is supposed to be built by Ninus (Nineveh means “The City of Ninus,” but it is unlikely that Ninus ever existed. Rather, historians believe that he is a composite image combining several of the early Assyrian warriors and leaders. Ninus appears on absolutely none of the early lists of the kings of Assyria.) Ninus is supposed to be the one who first trained dogs to hunt and he was the first to tame a horse so that it could be ridden. It is because of this accomplishment that Ninus is often pictured in Greek mythology as a centaur. And very early on, the city was a cultural center dedicated to the worship of the Assyrian Goddess Ishtar. And for this reason, the people flocked to Nineveh.

While Ninus may have built the city, it was Sennacherib that made the city great. At its height the city housed as many as 150,000 people within its walls (twice as much as Babylon housed at the same time.) It had an elaborate aqueduct system that furnished water for the city. Sennacherib built a “palace without rival” and it is even thought that the original “Hanging Gardens of Babylon” was actually built in Nineveh.

But within a hundred years of the glory days of Nineveh, the city was gone. Death came fast as the Assyrian Empire degraded into a series of civil wars and became ripe for defeat by her enemies. In 612 B.C.E, the fighting was brought to the city of Nineveh. Much of the fighting in the city was done house to house as the invaders came in and massacred all who had not left the city. The defender literally staggered from their houses to their posts, but they could not stop the disaster that was on the way for the city. Nahum’s prophecy of the best of the troops that the city had to offer stumbling into battle was uncannily true. The battle came and the troops could not hold the city. In 612 B.C.E., Nineveh died, and seven years later the Assyrian Empire was also officially brought to an end.

The site of the destroyed Nineveh was left untouched after the city’s final battle. No one inhabited, or possibly even visited, the site for centuries after the destruction of the city - and when archaeologists started to dig into the site of the ancient city, they found numerous unburied skeletons of people that had died on that day when Nineveh was razed to the ground.

Nahum prophesied of this defeat of an ancient empire that probably none of his first readers could imagine ending. And the prophecy stands as a warning to all civilizations that believe that they will stand forever. The reality is that we all come with an expiry date – and that is a humbling message. And the only answer to our expiry date is the God who exists without one. Only in him does ‘forever’ find its proper meaning. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Nahum 3

The LORD is slow to anger but great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. – Nahum 1:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 28, 2014): Nahum 1

There is a story (and it is likely no more than a story) that Duke Wenceslas (posthumously declared as King Wenceslas) of the Kingdom of Bohemia rose each night and in his bare feet gave food to the poor. The story arose after Wenceslas’ assassination, most likely at the hands of his brother who succeeded him as the ruler of Bohemia. But the story was also legitimized by the Catholic Church who has declared that the story is true. This story, among others, led to the characterization of Wenceslas as a righteous king. According to the stories of Wenceslas, the duke sacrificed himself for his people. After his assassination in 935 C.E., Wenceslas was immediately given the title of Saint Wenceslas because in a day when it was widely believed that those who were powerful deserved to be powerful and those who were poor deserved to be poor, Wenceslas decided to cross the line, giving of himself so that others could live. He became a type of Christ.

For part of the Christian Church, we place a lot of emphasis on our belief in the justice and righteousness of God. And it deserves the emphasis – God is both a righteous God – he is the model for the righteous king – and he is a just king. And using passages like this one in the opening of Nahum, we are quickly reminded that although we serve a God of mercy and love, he is not of infinite patience. The time will come when God’s just and righteous nature will punish those who are guilty.

And an example of this line is in the story of Nineveh. The story of Jonah is about God’s call to the prophet Jonah to go to Ninevah and tell them of God’s judgment on the city. Jonah does not want to go because he is afraid that God’s mercy will let the city off of the hook – which is exactly what happens at the end of Jonah’s story. And yet, years later Nahum has a very similar complaint against the city – and once again God’s justice is about to be visited on the city. From our end of history, we know that Ninevah was destroyed – possibly proving once and for all the limits to the patience of God.

But as Christian’s we also have another story that stands in tension with this story of a just God. This story is of a righteous king that paid the penalty that we deserved for our sin - of the king that crossed the line that no one else was willing to cross so that we would not have to face the justice of God. Admittedly, it is a strange story – one that is almost impossible for us to understand. But then again, it is also hard for us to understand a ruler that rises from bed to take care of the poor when he could have simply delegated that task to someone else and still be considered good. And so we live inside of that tension – between a just God who will not leave evil unpunished, and a merciful God who has taken that punishment on himself.

The tension is real – and it is supposed to be there. Because it is in that tension that we realize how much God paid for our freedom – and how wide the mercy of our God really is. The answer to the question – will there be a judgment is definitely yes. But part of the price of that judgment has already been pain on a cross just outside the city of Jerusalem almost 2000 years ago. And that is something that we can never forget.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Nahum 2

The faithful have been swept from the land; not one upright person remains. Everyone lies in wait to shed blood; they hunt each other with nets. – Micah 7:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 27, 2014): Micah 7

Diogenes of Sinope roamed around Athens during the fourth century B.C.E. He had been exiled from his home town of Sinope because of his economic beliefs (he was an advocate of the debasement or devaluing of currency. Surprisingly, his father was a minter of coins.) So Diogenes moved to Athens. Personally, Diogenes modeled himself after the example of Hercules, believing that true virtue is revealed by action rather than belief – or an emphasis on orthopraxy (right practice) over orthodoxy (right belief.) So Diogenes lived a very simple life and used that life to criticize the social values of his time. He voluntarily adopted a lifestyle of poverty, begging on the street for food and living in a large ceramic jar – probably similar to a barrel – in the marketplace. Diogenes was known for his acerbic nature. He embarrassed Plato, he disputed Socrates and was highly critical of Alexander the Great. And he was known for his stunts. One of his practices was to walk around Athens in the middle of the day with a lit lamp saying that “he was searching for an honest man.” Evidently, in Athens during the time of Diogenes, an honest man was hard to find.

Micah would have seemed to have fit in with Diogenes. Micah describes the society as being without a righteous person (or an honest man.) His description almost fits something out of a contemporary post-apocalyptic novel. It is a society where law is missing – and there is no one to take care of the needs of the poor. Everyone seeks to do what it is that they desire to do. As Micah prophecies towards the end of Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, His description of society is very similar to the description we have of the society of Israel during the days of the Judges - In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit (Judges 21:23). Evidently the presence of a king had not changed the social situation of Israel. And it would seem that in Israel, Micah was also a prophet searching the streets, trying desperately to find an honest man.

But the words also reflect the reality of Israel at the time of the exile. When Babylon defeated Judah and took them into exile, they removed the best and brightest. But the process also continued. The purpose of the exile was to remove leaders from Judah, removing the ability of Judah to govern itself - and remove the ability of the nation to rebel against their Babylonian keepers. The result of the exile was a populace in Judah that would have spent all of their time and energy on simple survival. But even then, there would have been some who were upright that were left in the land.

Some have compared this description of Micah with our current society. Whenever brutal egotism (a sense that everything is about me) dominates a society, we would expect bribery to be rampant and the society itself to be in deep decline. And in that moment, both Micah and Diogenes would probably stress that what we need is to search for an honest man, one that lead us to something more than us – and lead us toward the essential community that great society is always based on.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Nahum 1

 

My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. – Micah 6:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 26, 2014): Micah 6

I have a friend that struggles with the idea of Christianity. But part of the problem is that when we sit down and talk with each other, often we are talking about very different things. For my friend, Christianity is all about rules. It is about walking in step, and never deviating from the plan. He talks a lot of a church that preaches hate, a church that fears the differences between us. He speaks of a Christianity that is obsessed with hell and preaches of a God that can accept nothing but the unquestioned obedience of an automaton. And I can personally relate with none of these things.

For me, Christianity is about love – a love that crosses boundaries and differences. A love that welcomes everyone to the foot of a Cross where God made the decision to die for his creation. His death was never intended to limit us, it was intended to set us free – a freedom that we could never have known before. Christianity is more about mosaic of some very diverse people than it is about creating an army where everyone is the same. So it is no wonder that in our conversation with each other, often we lose each other. When we say Christian, we mean something very different.

Apparently the same discussion was happening during the time of Micah. And God responds through the prophet. How is it that you feel burdened by me? This has never been about the burden – it is about the freedom that you have found in me. A freedom that released you from slavery and brought you to a place where you could find your future. God refused to force Israel to serve him. And so they ran to other gods – and often these gods sought to bind them rather than free them. They demanded the youth of Israel as a sacrifice to be killed for their limited vision of the nation. And Israel was bound and enslaved – but this was not of God.

God’s freedom was always available to Israel, but often Israel was simply too bound to be able to see the freedom that was theirs for the asking. And when I sit with my friend I see the same thing. God’s promise of freedom is for all – and the diversity of the faith that results is amazing – but it is only available for those who work to see God as he really is. Too many of our friends are blinded by the lies of Christianity, missing the freedom. But we really are free. If only the world could see that truth.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Micah 7

I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles when I demolish your cities. – Micah 5:14

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 25, 2014): Micah 5

On August 23, 79 C.E., life in Pompeii continued as it had for generations. The city itself was home to probably around 20,000 people, but Pompeii in 79 was not just a place where people lived and worked; it was a vacation destination. Pompeii was built on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and arm of the Mediterranean Sea just south of the current city of Naples. Pompeii was a city of trade as well as a vacation destination, and the city was also a place of worship. The city was spotted with Temples dedicated to the worship of gods like Apollo, Jupiter, Isis, and other local deities. There was even a Temple that was dedicated to the former Roman ruler – Caesar Augustus. And on August 23, 79, the Temples were filled with people making offerings to the gods so that their personal plans would be successful. Life continued, as it always had.

Temple of Jupiter with Mount Vesuvius in the background

And on the morning of August 24, the people got out of bed expecting the 24^th to be much like the 23^rd, and probably much like the day before that. But on August 24, 79 C.E., life in Pompeii was about to suddenly end. Next door to the city was a volcano named Vesuvius. Vesuvius had erupted in 62 C.E., but the city had recovered. Most of the damage in Pompeii had actually been from the earthquake that had accompanied the eruption. But on August 24, 79 C.E. at about noon, Mount Vesuvius erupted again.  And this time, before the residents and visitors to Pompeii could even figure out what to do next, the city was buried in 20 feet of ash. Life in Pompeii came to an end very suddenly. And the city of Pompeii would lay under that ash, it was like a city that had been lost in the pages of history for the next 1500 years. But when the city was uncovered, it was like looking back into time. Everything in the city looked so normal, it was as if life was expected to pick up again the next day.

Micah makes a comment that on the day that the cities are destroyed, the Asherah poles would also be uprooted. He points at the places of worship and reminds the people that they would be destroyed along with the city. But in Micah’s eyes, it was not just the places of worship that would die, but the gods symbolized by those places of worship. No god that had been created by the hands of man can ever survive the disasters that will destroy us. None.

The Prophets of Israel had long foretold of what was an almost unthinkable event. The day was coming when the Temple of Jerusalem would be destroyed. Not one stone would be left on top of another. According to the prophets, the Temple of Solomon was going to disappear along with the city of Jerusalem. And yet, the moment of the destruction of the temple would not be end of the God of Israel. It would be just part of the story of a God for whom heaven was the place where he sat and the earth was the place where he rested his feet – and the place where he walked. But in the midst of every disaster this world has known, when the dust has cleared, the God of Israel has been the one that was still standing. He is not a God of our creation, but rather, he is the creator of all that we know – and he cannot be destroyed, even by the events that destroy the things most precious to us.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Micah 6

Note: Last Week's message from VantagePoint Community Church (Edmonton) "Real Comfort" from the Series "The Upside Down Kingdom" is now available on the VantagePoint Website. You can find it here.

In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. – Micah 4:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 24, 2014): Micah 4

One of the most contested religious sites in our world is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Currently three of the world’s faith groups claim it as sacred ground – Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

For Judaism, Temple Mount is the very place where Abraham brought Isaac intending to sacrifice him at the request of God, only to be stopped by God himself and a ram was presented to be offered in place of Abraham’s beloved son. It then became the home of Solomon’s Temple, and after the exile it was the site of Zerubbabel’s Temple or the Second Temple and the restoration of that Temple that was started by Herod. The ruins on Temple Mount are of the Second Temple – no sign remains of glorious Temple built by Solomon.

For the Christian, Temple Mount is the site of many of the stories of Jesus. It is the place of christening when the baby Jesus was only eight days old. On two occasions, Jesus cleared the temple maintaining that it was designed to be a House of Prayer, but that people had made it a den of thieves. And for some, Jesus clearing of the temple was a foreshadowing of the destruction of the Temple by the Romans

For the Muslim, Temple Mount is third most sacred site of the faith. And it is the very place where Mohammed ascended into heaven. Conflict between the faiths exist because currently the Al Aqsa Mosque rests on the far southern side of the Mount, facing Mecca – and  The Dome of the Rock currently sits in the middle, occupying the area (or close to the area) where the Jews and Christian believe that the Third Temple (Ezekiel’s Temple) needs to be rebuilt. And obviously the sacred site of the Jews and the Christians cannot be rebuilt on the site while the sacred site of the Muslims still stands. And there is no end to the controversy over the problem, or over how the three faiths could share what is a very sacred space for all three religions.

Micah speaks of the temple being rebuilt on Temple Mount. Some commentators place this prophecy in the “already fulfilled category.” Since Micah was writing in a time when Solomon’s Temple was still standing, the understanding is that the rebuilding of the Temple Micah describes is the building of the Second Temple (Zerubbabel’s Temple.) But for some, Micah’s words expressing the exalted nature of the temple and the people that would stream to it does not seem to really fit. Zerubbabel’s temple was a bit of a disappointment for some of the Jews precisely because it did not measure up to Solomon’s Temple.

For this group of people, it seems that Micah could only be talking about Ezekiel’s Temple – the Temple we have described in the writings of Ezekiel but that has never been built. And for this group of people, the future building of Ezekiel’s Temple is and event that is prayed for and actively sought after – for it is believed that the Messiah will not come (for the Jews) or return (for the Christians) until the temple has been built – and according to Micah, that temple will need to be built on Temple Mount.

But another Christian interpretation of the Micah passage is that the temple has already been rebuilt in the person of Jesus Christ, and people from many races and creeds have already streamed to him. Under this interpretation, there is no need for a rebuilding of the temple on Temple Mount, the Messiah has come and will come again. And when he stands on Temple Mount, it really won’t matter what other structures are there. All the eyes of the world will be only on him.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Micah 5

This is what the LORD says: “As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim ‘peace’ if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them. – Micah 3:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 23, 2014): Micah 3

In October 1032, Pope Benedict IX began his unique papal reign. At the time of his ascension Benedict was probably only 11 or 12 years old. He rose to the post not because he was suited for it, but rather because the position had been obtained for him by his Father. Both Pope Benedict VIII and Pope John XIX were his uncles. Although Benedict was Orthodox in his beliefs, it seems that his practice did not follow what the boy believed. His reign marked a dark time for the papacy. Pope Victor III, who reigned about forty years after Benedict IX, wrote of “his rapes, murders and other unspeakable acts. His life as a pope was so vile, so foul, so execrable, that I shudder to think of it.”

But what really sets Benedict IX apart is that he is the only Pope to rule more than once (in Benedict's case, he was made Pope on three different occasions.) His first chance to sit in the Papal chair was from 1032 until 1044. At that point, Benedict IX was forced out of office and replaced by Pope Sylvester III. But Sylvester III was only Pope for a little more than a month. Charged with bribing his way into office, he was deposed and then excommunicated by Benedict IX, who then regained the Papal office. Benedict’s second reign as Pope started in April of 1045, but his reign would also be very short lived (lasting only about a month). While it appears that Benedict IX charged Sylvester with bribing his way into office, in May of 1945 Benedict himself openly sold the papacy to his Godfather who became Pope Gregory VI. But it appears that he regretted his decision because in 1047, Benedict IX returned to force Gregory out of the Chair of Peter so that he could sit in it for his third reign, which this time would last about six months. But in the confusion of Benedict’s return, there would actually be three men who claimed to be the rightful heir of the papacy. Finally Benedict IX would be forced out of the chair of Peter and excommunicated from the church (although that excommunication was lifted after his death on claims that Benedict had repented of his behavior as Pope so that he could be buried on ground that had been consecrated by the church.) But the legacy of Benedict IX is that he only seemed to want the Chair of Peter for what he could get out of it. There were no thoughts in his mind about how he could serve the greater church.

Micah describes a similar condition that seems to have existed during his days. It was the highest crime that Micah could think of – when men who had been charged with serving the people God did so only for personal gain. And a warning for all of us who call ourselves Christians. We are followers of Christ only as far as we are willing to serve those around us. Our faith is not for personal gain, but rather that as humble servants we are involved in the work of making this world a better place for everyone – regardless of faith or sex or race – to live.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Micah 4

I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people. – Micah 2:12

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 22, 2014): Micah 2

When I was small, my family moved away from our traditional home in Eastern Canada. We moved from the communities that surround Toronto, Ontario to Calgary, Alberta. It was about a 2000 mile jump. And when we moved, we left a lot of family behind. I have fond memories of the family left behind, but I also recognize that there are parts of my extended family that I know very little about. Over the years, parts of the family also moved to Alberta, and so we were able to reconnect and rebuild relationships. But a few years ago one of my cousins passed away unexpectedly. And in those moments you begin to wonder about the relationships that have been lost – to mourn them and wish that we could somehow all be together again.

Micah prophecies of a time when the family of Jacob (Israel) would be brought together again. Micah comment is specific – it is about all of the family. In the time that Micah was writing, “all of you” would have been interpreted to be both Israel and Judah – and reunification of the whole family of Jacob. And Micah continues to describe the party. He talks about the remnant, which means that it will be only a representative part of the family that will be brought together, but he also speaks of the place that will “throng with people.” Throng usually indicates a big group. So this is not a small party, many of the children of Jacob, from across all of the thirteen tribes, will be part of the celebration. Micah also speaks of the place of the party. He says that God will bring them together in a place that will be like sheep in a pen or a flock in its own pasture. The words indicate that the reunification will happen in a safe place. And a safe place is usually a big asset to a great party.

Micah’s description makes us want to be there. But there is a problem. Some have interpreted the words of Micah to indicate that the exile in Babylon would not be the final chapter in the story of Jacob; that a remnant would return to Palestine, the ancient homeland of the Jewish people. But the Babylonian exile only involved the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (and Levi when we include the priests and the Levites that were also part of that exile – all committed to the work of God in the Temple in Jerusalem.) But three tribes out of thirteen is hardly all. So if it was not the return to the homeland of the Jews from Babylon, then what event was Micah talking about. And the short answer is that we don’t know. This reunion has never happened.

But for the Christian, we see it as happening as the Jewish people finally come to accept Jesus as their coming Messiah. It would seem that only in Christ can this reunification ever happen. And in that instance, the party will not just include the thirteen tribes of Israel, it will include all of us as God removes the boundaries that keep us apart.

We believe that Micah’s family reunion is still coming. And for those who like reunions, we can’t wait for the time of celebration to finally arrive.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Micah 3

Those who live in Maroth writhe in pain, waiting for relief, because disaster has come from the LORD, even to the gate of Jerusalem. – Micah 1:12

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 21, 2014): Micah 1

We want life to be fair, even though we know that it is not. Andy Stanley makes a plea for the unfairness of life imploring us to do for the one what we wish we could do for everyone. Instead, the typical reaction tends to be that if we cannot do it for everyone, then we should not do it for anyone. I sat in a room with a Pastor that operated on this principle. He wished that he could sit in Starbucks and drink coffee and talk with every person in his congregation. But since that was impossible, he decided to sit in his office and drink coffee with no one. At least, in his eyes, that was fair.

Stanley talks about one of the ones in his life. In his life, the one takes the form of an addict that Stanley has helped out in various situations over the years. He wishes that he could have this kind of an effect on everyone, but he can’t. So he settles for the one. In return, he also speaks of the impact that this addict has had on his life – an impact and experience that has enriched him, and that he would never have had if had not done for the one what he wished he could do for everyone. Stanley’s stance recognizes the inherent unfairness of life, and the responsibility of each of us to minister in the midst of that unfairness.

We really have no idea about the place that Micah call Maroth. Some experts have questioned whether this might be a clerical error and the town identified should be rather Ramoth (of which there were three in ancient Israel). But Maroth fits better with the tone of the beginning of Micah’s prophecy. Specifically, Maroth sounds like the Hebrew word for “bitter” or “perfect grief” which fits perfectly with the context of the verse.

Other experts have simply indicated that Maroth was an evil town in Judea – one that was rightly destroyed by the attacking Assyrian army in the late 8^th century B.C.E.. As Micah correctly indicates, that attack of the Assyrians stopped at the gates of Jerusalem and the Holy City never fell into Assyrian hands. But the problem with assuming that Maroth was evil is that this is the only mention of the town that we know of – and nothing in this passage would indicate that Maroth was evil, it only says that Maroth was in pain because of a disaster – assumed to be the Assyrian attack on Judah – that came from God. The inference seems to be that if the attack came from God, then Maroth must be evil. But that is inconsistent with the Hebrew understanding of God. For the Hebrew people. God was all-powerful and therefore God was fully able to stop anything from happening. It was the hand of God that stopped the Assyrian army at the gates of the city of Jerusalem. And because he was able to stop it, then all of the bad things in life came from God. And yet the Hebrew Bible also teaches that the good and the bad happen to both the righteous person and the evil one. Assuming that Maroth was evil just because it suffered goes against that teaching.

Probably the best way to interpret Micah’s comment about Maroth is to admit that this is a commentary on the unfairness of life. Jerusalem was preserved from the Assyrian attack – and that preservation was because of God – yet Maroth suffered and was destroyed even though the town existed just outside the gates of Jerusalem. Maybe the people could have fled to Jerusalem, but they were too proud. Maybe there was not enough time for the people to get out. Either way, Maroth became a place of “perfect grief” in an unfair world – dying on the very steps of the great city that God decided to preserve from the Assyrian army.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Micah 2

I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. – Hosea 14:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 20, 2014): Hosea 13 & 14

On Monday morning, October 2, 2006, Charles Roberts entered a one room, Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. Roberts was carrying a gun and enough ammunition to wage a small war. He ordered the teacher and the boys to leave the classroom. One nine year old girl who did not understand English followed the boys and the teacher out of the classroom. She would be the only girl in the small school to escape the events of this day without injury. After the exodus, Roberts ordered the ten girls that remained in the classroom to kneel down on the floor. One girl, a thirteen year old and the oldest student left in the classroom, begged Roberts to just kill her and let the younger ones go. But Roberts refused. He said that he was angry with God for the death of his daughter, and with that explanation Roberts shot each one of the girls execution style on the classroom floor. By this time the authorities had gathered outside. At the sound of the gunshots they rushed the small schoolhouse. But by the time they got there the damage was done - and Roberts lay dead on the classroom floor alongside of his victims. Two of the girls died immediately, one on the way to hospital and two more during the night that followed. Five of the ten girls died as a result of Roberts’ anger.

But the scene that was taking place outside of the classroom was really what caught the attention of the watching world. One of the grandfathers of the murdered girls was rushing around to the grieving parents, imploring them to not “think evil of this man.” When it was announced that the gunman was dead, the message that “he was now standing before a just God” was circulated by another Amish man. The Amish community responded overwhelmingly to the Roberts family. Cards and gifts from the community were received by Roberts’ widow. One scene of an Amish man sitting and holding the weeping father of Charles Roberts for over an hour trying to comfort him dominated the headlines. At the funeral for Charles Roberts, over half of the mourners were from the Amish community. The Amish forgiveness of Charles Roberts for the deeds he had done in the small schoolhouse was so complete that the Amish even contributed to a fund to help Roberts’ surviving family.

But outside the Amish community, people struggled with their reaction. Some even criticized the forgiveness, a dominant characteristic of the Amish beliefs, saying that the forgiveness that the community freely gave to Roberts was unwarranted – that forgiveness should never be given unless it is asked for, and in this situation, Charles Roberts was in no position to do the asking. But their pleas fell on deaf ears. For the Amish of Nickel Mines, forgiveness was given, even if it was not deserved.

Hosea finishes his prophecy with this promise of divine forgiveness. Nowhere in the prophecy do we find the people crying out for it. Even in the story of Hosea and Gomer that starts off the book of Hosea, nowhere do we read of Gomer’s plea for or acceptance of forgiveness. Hosea simply forgives her in spite of her action. And at the end of the prophecy, God simply forgives Israel of all of their transgressions and welcomes them back in his arms.

Historically, the Northern Kingdom of Israel never did return from exile – and yet, according to this passage in Hosea we know that they are forgiven and exist in the ever present grace of the Father. It has been said that we are as close as we can get to the image of the divine when we decide to act with forgiveness. Following the events of October 2, 2006, a community tried desperately to show that kind of divine nature to the watching world. Some of us got, but others refused to understand. The world understands our anger, but I am convinced that it is only changed by the way we forgive. Go and be the divine in your world, forgiving freely, even when some would say that forgiveness is not appropriate. For those who try to exist reflecting the divine nature of the ever present God, forgiveness is always an appropriate response to life.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Micah 1

In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God. – Hosea 12:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 19, 2014): Hosea 11 & 12

Political analyst and radio host Dennis Prager tells the story of a time when a Muslim listener phoned into his radio show with a question. The question was why Dennis, a religious Jew, was not a Muslim. Most of us could probably imagine a number of answers to the question, but I have been intrigued with Dennis’ answer. He believed that the question had been asked with sincerity and so he answered the question in the same way. His reply to his listener was that the name of her religion was “Islam” – and “Islam” means submission to God. Dennis himself is a follower of Judaism, but Judaism is the religion of the children of Israel – and Israel does not mean “submission to God” – it means “struggles with God.” Dennis finished this descriptive stage of the conversation with this comment – Dennis said that he follows Judaism because he would rather struggle with God than to simply submit to God. And, to be honest, I love that answer. Not only do I approve of the answer, but it describes me – I too, would rather struggle with God than to simply submit to God.

Hosea is speaking to the people of Israel and he reminds them of who it is they are. They are not simply the people that God has chosen. And they are definitely not the people that have blindly submitted to God. In actually what they had become was the people that have ignored God. But who Israel was designed to be was the people who struggled with God. And that struggle started with Jacob, the one who was later in his life called Israel. There had been a name change from the one who grasps the heel of his brother – which is the basic story behind the name and the meaning of Jacob – to Israel – the one who struggles with God.

As Christians, I believe that we are supposed to adopt this attitude – we are the ones that join with Israel in the struggle with God. I have been haunted in the past few months by a comment by Walter Wink. He wrote “I for one do not abandon scripture, but neither do I acquiesce. I wrestle with it. I challenge it. I am broken and wounded by it, and then in defeat I sometimes encounter the living God.”

Sometimes I think that we believe that God is happy if we simply submit to him. But the reality is that we are never encounter God through simple submission. And sometimes we totally miss the plan he has for us because we have misunderstood him and have simply submitted to what we had in our heads that he was saying. But when we struggle with God, we get to the root of what God is really saying, not just what we think he is saying. And sometimes we are surprised in the struggle when we begin to realize what God is really about.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hosea 13 & 14

Note: VantagePoint Community Church (Edmonton) has a new website. Please check it out at www.vantagepointcc.org.

Then they will say, “We have no king because we did not revere the LORD. But even if we had a king, what could he do for us?” – Hosea 10:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 18, 2014): Hosea 10

We are a fickle people. I can be friends with you, until you do something that I don’t agree with or I don’t like. It happens a lot with pastors. We think that the pastor we have is the best until he/she does something that we don’t agree with – and then they are just stupid. Have you ever wondered why our circle of friends is so small? Part of the reason is that we don’t have time to spend on those relationships. But the other part of the problem is that there are very few people that match up exactly with where we are. It is one reason why a person with a lot of friends often has to be very forgiving. We are pretty much guaranteed to be let down by the people closest to us. But maybe this is most obvious in the area of politics. We will support a politician in the beginning often because we think that what is important to us is what is important to them. But, as time progresses, we find out that they are not exactly the way we want them to be. So all in a sudden they were never like us and we discard them. We always knew that they were stupid - and what that really means is that things did not work out the way that we thought they would. It also lends to the idea that all politicians are liars – because we know that all politicians will eventually let us down.

Israel had come full circle. In the very beginning, the government of Israel was designed to be a theocracy – they existed with God as their only king. In the desert, God existed as smoke during the day and fire in the night. And as long as the fire of God was in the tabernacle, the nation remained encamped, but when the presence of God was lifted, the nation moved. Once the nation reached Palestine, again they divided up the land as God had directed. The most powerful single individual in Israel in that day was supposed to be the high priest, the one who ministered in the very presence of God. And when the nation was in need, God would raise up a Judge, one who was proficient in an area and they would lead the nation – or sometimes a portion of the nation – during that time of need.

But the time came when the people rose up. They were no longer happy with the way that the nation was being led. It was a time when a man named Samuel served Israel in all of the key areas of leadership of the nation – he was the High priest, and the nation’s Prophet, and he was the Judge that God had raised up. But the people decided that they wanted to leave the time of the Judges and become like the other nations; the other nations had a king to lead them. And God’s response to Samuel was that the people had not rejected Samuel and his leadership – what they were really doing was actively rejecting God.

A king was supposed to fix all of the problems of the nation. He was to bring strength and cohesion. And God was right. In the minds of the people the King began to take the place of God. And so we witness through the pages of biblical history that the people’s relationship with God seemed to be totally dependent on the king’s relationship with God. If the King had a healthy God relationship, then the people did too. But if the king ignored God, then the people also ignored God. All that had really happened was that there was an additional barrier that had been added between the people and God.

But now Hosea speaks of a time when the people will once again be without a king. Only then they will recognize the futility of ever having a king. When at first they proclaimed that if God and Samuel would only give them a king, all of their problems would be solved, in this future time they will recognize that a king is useless outside of a relationship with God. In fact, the reason why they have no king is because they allowed the king to have sovereignty over their faith – something that was never intended to happen.

It still is not intended to happen. The only way that any of our relationships work is if we maintain a close relationship with God. And in our fickle relationships, the real problem is that we have allowed someone else to decide the faith issues for us – rather than working with God to solve our faith problems. We still are installing kings in our lives to guide our faith decisions. And that will always be a mistake.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hosea 11 & 12

Note: Last week's message from VantagePoint Community Church (Edmonton) - "Real Rich" from the series "The Upside Down Kingdom" is now available on the VantagePoint Website. You can find it here.

What will you do on the day of your appointed festivals, on the feast days of the LORD? – Hosea 9:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 17, 2014): Hosea 9

In 600 C.E., the city of Cahokia (what we call it, we have no idea what the original inhabitants called the city) began its existence in what is now south western Illinois. The Cahokians were the largest and most influential of the Mississippian native groups. At its height, Cahokia would have covered more than six square miles, and contained more people than any other American City until the late 18^th Century. For about 800 years, Cahokia ruled the American landscape. And then the city and its inhabitants disappeared – long before any European settler touched down on North American soil.

Cahokia is on a list of mysterious cultures that have simply disappeared from the pages of history. In the case of Cahokia, we have very little to tell us about what kind of a civilization it was. We have no writing from the Cahokians, they have left us no pottery shards and no weapons or really any evidence of any wars that the civilization might have fought. It simply left us over a hundred mounds within the city complex - and a lot of questions.

But the mystery of the cities disappearance may not be much of mystery. The stress that maintaining a city the size of Cahokia would have placed on the environment would have been considerable. It is likely that 800 years would have caused the destruction of the surrounding forest and that hunting for food would have depleted the available wildlife. The result would have been that the city no longer had access to the necessary resources needed to keep the city alive. As a result, the civilization of Cahokia most likely just moved on and merged in with other native civilizations.

Often what keeps a civilization alive during the rough times is the distinctive culture that the civilization carries with it – even in the tough times. For modern day Israel, a dedication to the fundamentals of Judaism, a religion specific to the civilization, has kept the civilization alive even though the nation has spent most of the last two millennia in exile.

Hosea’s words are once again directed at the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He points at the practices of the nation. They had left the rituals of Judaism behind. So Hosea asks the people of the Northern Kingdom the question – when you enter into the hard times, when you go into exile, what will you do? How will you celebrate the Holy Days, or the Special Feasts of God that you are ignoring now? And as a result of your ignorance, what is it that will happen to you?

History records that Hosea’s concerns were not without cause. The Assyrians would attack the Northern Kingdom of Israel and carry off the people of the civilization into exile. The same thing would happen just over a century later to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. But Judah even in exile remembered the Holy Days and Festivals dedicated to their God. But the Northern Kingdom had no such religious history to fall back on and to remember. The result from history is that the ones that remembered survived, while the ones that forgot exited the pages of history – never to return.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hosea 10  

They are from Israel! This calf—a metalworker has made it; it is not God. It will be broken in pieces, that calf of Samaria. – Hosea 8:6

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 16, 2014): Hosea 8

During the final years of the fifteenth century, the Christian Church appeared to be an organization that was out of control. Large building programs and the greedy appetites of those in charge of the church had left church finances in serious trouble. As a result of the financial pressure, the church began to step up its campaign of selling indulgences (basically selling an early entrance for loved ones that had died to enter into heaven – all for a fee paid to the church) as well as the sale of positions in the church hierarchy. Even the office of Pope was available to the highest bidder. It was not that these practices had not been present in the years leading up to this time. But the practice seemed to be becoming more and more common place. The idea seemed to be that the building of elaborate buildings was essential for the faith – as well as the high cost of taking care of those in charge of taking care of the church. The amount of money that could be made from these positions is what drove the amount of money that people paid for these positions in an upward direction. But all of this resulted in a conflict inside of the church.

The Protestant Reformation resulted from this conflict inside the established church. But this era in the church left us addicted to buildings, an addiction that we have never been able to shake. Massive churches with unique (and often expensive) architecture have been the norm in almost every generation since the first church began to be constructed. A number of years ago I had the privilege of sitting in a University ‘Intro to Sociology’ course where my professor railed for an entire class on one church’s elaborate plan to build a church in his neighbourhood - complete with indoor and outdoor fountains (and it didn’t help that it happened to be the church that I was attending at the time.) But I couldn’t really fault my professor for his rant. The plans for the new church went far beyond what was necessary. But then again, defining what is necessary has never been our strong point.

But the real problem is that we are bringing up Christians that almost seem to treat the church buildings as if they are God. But they are not. They are simply spaces where the church meets – and really any space will do. God does not inhabit a church because of the grandness of the architecture; God inhabits the church because it is the place where we gather. We are the church and the dwelling places for our God – and really it has always been that way.

Israel had set up two calves to worship within its territory. It might have been that originally they were set up simply as a place to worship God, but by the time of Hosea these places of worship had definitely become objects of worship. The practice had been stolen from Egypt, except that in Egypt the cows were alive. But these calves were just statues that had been built by the hands men – and unworthy of the worship of man. And in the end, the calves of Samaria and the churches of our nations will be torn down and left in ruin, but that should be okay because they are, after all, just buildings. But Hosea knew that that was not the case for Israel. Their faith was in two calves that would one day be smashed to pieces – and the gold would be melted down and used for other secular decorations. Their gods would leave them vulnerable, while the real God of Israel stood on the sideline and watched – unwanted by the very people that he loved. And that combination would be their doom.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hosea 9

… but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. Their sins engulf them; they are always before me. – Hosea 7:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 15, 2014): Hosea 7

In 1949, George Orwell released his novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four.” The novel has entered popular culture with such phrases as doublethink, Newspeak, telescreen, memory hole and 2 + 2 = 5 – all concepts that originated in Orwell’s book. But maybe the most persistent image from the novel is the idea that “Big Brother is watching.” The novel is written as a dystopian novel, a novel that is written in an opposite way from a utopian novel which highlights what is desirable. A dystopian novel is frightening and ultimately undesirable. In the case of “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” the plot is about the controlling, totalitarian government and a dehumanization of the people of this future age. And the idea that under this kind of a government that a “Big Brother is watching” is a terrifying prospect – one that is engrained on our psyche.

God speaks through Hosea, but his words are reminiscent of Orwell’s idea that “Big Brother is watching.” But the difference is important. In the Orwellian novel, the idea that Big Brother was watching was for control of the people. Unauthorized thoughts and activities were immediately punished – and there is no room for forgiveness. But while the idea of punishment is present in this Hosea passage, we also must realize that that the idea of forgiveness is also present. And the difference is found in us. Our sins engulf us not because of their existence or because of God’s knowledge of them, but often because of our refusal to acknowledge them. We believe that the sins committed in secret can never have any effect on us. But Hosea reminds us that even the things that we believe that no one knows about have an effect on who we are.

The ultimate Big Brother may be us. We know. And what we know we cannot escape. These are the things that engulf us. And the longer that we hide these things, the more dangerous they are to our long term well-being.

God does not hold our sins over us – we do. And while God remembers everything, he is also willing to forget, if only we will confess to him the very things that are threatening to engulf us. Forgiveness is offered freely, even for the things that are done in secret. It was a forgiveness that was available to ancient Israel, but they were ultimately unwilling to ask for it. And in the end, that may be the real danger. Not that God remembers everything, but rather that we remember everything, and while God is willing to forgive, often we refuse to extend that same forgiveness to ourselves – and to the things that are done in secret.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hosea 8

After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. – Hosea 6:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 14, 2014): Hosea 6

Thomas Edison once commented that “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” One of the truths of our lives is that we learn more from our failures than we do from our successes. It is a truth that few of us really want to embrace. After all, it is our successes that we believe define us. Yet, successes seldom come without first failing. We usually need to learn the lessons from failure before we can make the adjustments that need to be made in order to succeed.

Hosea prophecies that there are hard times ahead for Israel. The reality was that Israel in its present state was politically and spiritually dead. And for a time the misery of death – literally the shell of death - would reign. But that suffering would be short lived. God was unwilling to leave Israel in its current state. What God desired for Israel was that they might live. And he was already at work toward that end.

There are several theories about how this might be accomplished. Israel has gone through several periods when it was for all intents and purposes dead – the most recent of these extended from the destruction of the temple in 70 C.E. until 1948 when the nation was once again brought back to life. But others would point out that the resurrection of Israel cannot be complete until the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem is completed– the Temple that is a dream in the hearts of the Israeli people and is destined to someday become the third temple (following Solomon’s Temple which was destroyed in 587 B.C.E and Zerubbabel’s temple destroyed in 70 C.E.) – a temple that would be rebuilt during Hosea’s third day.

But for the Christian, there is the eerie shadowy figure of Christ that is found in these verses – the one who was torn to pieces in our place and spent two whole days in the grave – only to be raised back to life on the third day. Hosea’s words are reminders of maybe a different reality – and a different temple. It might be that, in a way, the Third Temple has already been completed, in the person and worship of Jesus Christ. And only through him can we have the life that God desires for us, life that Hosea says can only come on the third day – and only through him can we truly know God’s peace.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hosea 7

“Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. A spirit of prostitution is in their heart; they do not acknowledge the LORD. – Hosea 5:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 13, 2014): Hosea 5

One of the innovations of the American Civil War was the invention of a more accurate gun. If you watch Civil War re-enactments, the one thing that might have stood out was that the two sides would form a line and slowly start to fire their guns as they walked toward each other. The only reason why this was practical was because the weapons they were using were horribly inaccurate. If you happened to hit a soldier on the long line walk toward each other, chances are it was not the soldier that you were aiming at. But during the Civil War great advancements were made in the area of guns and ammunition. Not only were the new guns more accurate, they also inflicted more damage. And it changed the way that war needed to be fought. The long walk was no longer a logical way to fight a war. Now it was advantageous to hide in a house or behind a tree.

By the time that World War I began to be fought, infantry wars could only be fought in trenches. But the problem was that trench warfare was hugely impractical. The war was fought with very accurate guns and the no man’s land between the trenches was basically a death zone. Increased accuracy of guns had resulted in the development of Trench Warfare, and Trench Warfare would necessitate other ways of fighting wars; shelling enemy positions, the use of tanks and aerial bombardments were all developmental reactions to the changes in the ways that wars had to be fought.

But they are also were all following the same scenario. They involve ways of inflicting death and ways of defending ourselves from the weapons. In this case, the development of either defensive or offensive weapons made necessary changes in the other to enable combat. But all we really seem to be doing is becoming more effective in finding ways to kill people.

Hosea says that the problem is that Israel was so committed to one course of action that they could not see any other way – and so they were doomed. They had lost sight of God for so long that he was no longer even a blip on their consciences. And the ways of God were far from them. And I am afraid that Hosea would probably have the same thing to say about us.

Following World War II the world reached its highest (or lowest) point. For the first time we were able to destroy the entire world with the weapons that we had created – and there was no way to build a defence against those weapons. For the past few decades we have been diligently trying to back away from that point of universal death. But the only real answer might be for us to consider the ways of God one more time – and to seek and his peace. To change the way we think about international conflict on a very basic level. Our reality is that the answer for war is really an equality for all people – knowing that each one of us is a son or a daughter of the living God. I know, it sounds like too much of a jump in logic, but unless we can voluntarily restrict ourselves to Civil War Weapons, war seems to be a ridiculous answer to conflict. We need to consider the peaceable of our God.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hosea 6

“Though you, Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty. “Do not go to Gilgal; do not go up to Beth Aven. And do not swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’ – Hosea 4:15

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 12, 2014): Hosea 4

George Orwell once commented that “during times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.” But revolutionary acts do not just happen. Revolutionary acts have to be thought through and courageously pursued. In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes almost impossible. It takes a revolutionary act to swim against the deceptive culture.

When the original Kingdom of Israel divided into two nations, the northern nation retained the name “Israel,” but the southern Kingdom of Judah retained the temple and the cultic religion of Israel. Jeroboam, the northern leader at the time of the division, needed to stop his people from taking their religious pilgrimages to the temple in Jerusalem - inside the territory of the southern nation. So he set up two cultic cities in the north proclaiming that they were cities dedicated to the worship of the God of Israel – the very God that had brought Israel out of Egypt. The cities were Gilgal and Bethel – and the cities were built on a lie.

Hosea understood this – so instead of calling Bethel by its name, which means “House of God,” he chooses to call the city by a derogatory name – Beth Aven, which means “House of Deceit.” Hosea was highlighting the northern nation’s dependence on lies. The confusing comment at the end prohibiting the people from swearing ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’ is probably indicative of the idea that no truth can come out of a lie. The northern cities of deceit could do nothing other than bring more deceit. In their origin they were given a lie that they were places of God – and now because of that lie every truth, including a truth about God, was contaminated. What they needed was a revolutionary act that would shatter the deceit leaving only the truth. But the revolution was slow in coming.

The idea of a little white lie is really a myth. There is really no such thing. Deception, no matter how small, always taints the truth. George Orwell died on January 21, 1950. He is buried in a Church Cemetery and his grave stone simply reads “Here Lies Eric Arthur Blair” – the name that George Orwell was born with. The stone contains no allusion to the pen name of the great author and thinker lying beneath the surface of the ground. Maybe it is Orwell’s own little revolution of truth in a world that seems to be bent on deceit.    

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hosea 5