… you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones. – Micah 3:2

Today's Scripture Reading (March 15, 2023): Micah 3

I have to admit that I have meditated on this verse over the past year. I understand that my critics would like me to know that this is what is going on in the places where we disagree. I am not convinced that it is that easy. I had a coffee with an acquaintance several years ago who held a Calvinist belief, while my theology emerges from the Wesleyan Arminian tradition. The difference between the belief systems can be explained in some ways as a semantic argument, although the hardcore believers on either side would probably disagree. But as I was having coffee with my friend, the question came up. He asked, "Can Wesleyan-Arminian believers even be Christian?" Maybe he was joking, but he didn't crack a smile.

My life seems to have been filled with people who take our differences in belief and decide that those who disagree with them, even on minor issues, can't be true believers. We take minor differences and make them unsurmountable problems. Maybe it is the version of the Bible that we read or the side that we take on disputable issues. We have been lied to and made to believe that we can't be Christian unless we are (whatever the issue might be). And therefore, we need to be careful because if we are the ones who don't measure up, then we must be the ones who hate good and love evil.

But that doesn't seem to be what Micah is saying. The second phrase of the prophet's message is about those "who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones." Micah's message is directed toward the kings dwelling in Jerusalem and Samaria, who were so evil that they were willing to hurt their own people; they were like cannibals who tore the skin off of the people and ate the flesh from their bones. They took advantage of the poor and powerless. And while we think of love as a New Testament characteristic, these kings refused to love even their own people, let alone those who opposed them.

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, spoke of that kind of love.  

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that (Matthew 5:46-47)

 The Kings in Judah and Israel couldn't even measure up to that first kind of love. They thought the evil they did was good and called the prophets who wanted them to react differently, even just loving their own people and standing up for justice for the poor and powerless, as evil. And God could not allow that from his people.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 4

"Do not prophesy," their prophets say. "Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us." – Micah 2:6

Today's Scripture Reading (March 14, 2023): Micah 2

Okay, we need to understand that ostriches do not hide their head when they are in trouble. When danger strikes, ostriches don't hide any part of their body. When danger strikes, ostriches run. They are very fast birds, and while they are flightless, that does not mean their wings are useless. When an ostrich turns to run, it uses its wings to stabilize its body, keeping it upright as it reaches its top speed, around 43 m.p.h., faster than a lion or a hyena. The myth that an ostrich hides its head in times of danger seems to return to a picture taken almost a century ago of an ostrich with its head in the ground. But the ostrich was not hiding from danger but building its nest. The ostrich uses its head to dig out a nest that can be over three meters in diameter.

Too bad that the myth is so strong. The idea of an animal that hides its head, thinking that if it can't see danger, then there must not be any danger, is persuasive, although it is not a good defense. Imagine an ostrich hiding its head in the sand as a lion stalks it. It is unlikely that the lion will stop its attack just because it can't see the ostrich's head. All that kind of defensive strategy would do is produce a lot of dead ostriches.

Which, I guess, is really the point. An ostrich might not hide its head rather than face trouble, but that is the common response of another animal species; humans do it all the time. We have disease symptoms but don't go to the doctor or get the required diagnostic tests. We see financial problems but do nothing to address it. Instead, we sometimes seem just to hide our heads so that we don't see the danger.

Micah speaks about the prophets God had been sending to his people. But he knows the reality; the people don't want to hear what a true prophet has to say. They only want to know that everything is alright and God is still with them. So, when a true prophet shows up, someone like Micah, they reject the message. They complain that he is just a naysayer and not a real prophet of God. Besides, who wants to have a negative person like that around?

But Micah believes things had gotten so bad that God was about to stop sending prophets to speak to his people. He would let the nation bury its head and be blindsided by the danger. After all, just because the people were willing to ignore trouble didn't mean that the coming trouble was willing to ignore them.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 3

The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. – Micah 1:1

Today's Scripture Reading (March 13, 2023): Micah 1

As I was embarking on my career, I was told that most Christian church pastors find their origins in rural, small churches. The kids responding to God's call were more often from country origins, and sometimes they went to rural communities, but often at some point during their careers, they get called into city ministry. But part of the problem is that the church in a rural community and an urban church looks quite different. As a result, it sometimes seems that most urban churches are just country churches trying to survive in an urban context.

However, there might even be an advantage to that. From my experience, and I am a bit of a hybrid, having put in a significant portion of my life both in city and country settings, small-town living can make things a little more black and white than sometimes is true in urban ministries. And that can be a good thing. Maybe it all depends on your perspective.

We know very little about Micah except that he had a very strong sense that he was a prophet called by God and was from the town of Moresheth-Gath. Moreshath-Gath existed in southwest Judah, close to the border between Judah and the Philistine cities. Therefore, Micah was a small-town prophet who was called to speak to the situations in the urban areas of Jerusalem and Samaria. The heart of Micah's ministry seems to have taken place during the reign of Ahaz. While both Jotham and his grandson Hezekiah were good Kings who reigned in Jerusalem, Ahaz was a predominantly evil king who followed the example set forth by a chain of evil Kings who reigned in Samaria.

King Hezekiah was an important reformer in Judah, so maybe he heard the message of Micah and the other prophets of the time and decided that his father was wrong. Hezekiah purified the Temple, removed the idols, reformed the priesthood, destroyed the high places, and even demolished the "bronze serpent" purported to be the same one Moses had created at the command of God in Numbers 21 during an attack of venomous snakes.

The Lord said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived (Numbers 21:8-9).

Hezekiah believed that he needed to be the change that Judah needed. The Bronze snake had become an idol in Judah, but Hezekiah had ended its reign, whether or not the snake was the one Moses had made. And Micah, the small-town prophet from Moreshath-Gath, would have cheered at every step.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 2

But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test." – Isaiah 7:12

Today's Scripture Reading (March 12, 2023): Isaiah 7

Most of us have heard Frank (do I really need to add Sinatra) sing the song.

And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain

I've lived a life that's full
I've traveled each and every highway
But more, much more than this
I did it my way (Paul Anka)

The tune is actually French, and Canadian Pop Icon Paul Anka wrote the lyrics. And they tell the story of a man at the end of his life who is proud that he made it through life doing things "his way." It is a powerful image. If you are a Jon Bon Jovi fan, the song appears in the chorus of "It's My Life." Frank Sinatra had a huge influence on Bon Jovi's life, so the chorus goes of that song goes -  

It's my life,

It's now or never

I ain't going to live forever

I just want to live while I'm alive

My heart is like an open highway

Like Frankie said,

"I did it my way."

I just want to live while I'm alive

It's my life (Jon Bon Jovi)

Have you ever felt that way? Most of us have. It's my life; why can't I do it my way? The problem is that we are often wrong. We think we have to make our own mistakes, but the truth is that that, too, is a lie. We can learn from the mistakes of others.

God comes to Ahaz and invites him to ask for his advice and a sign that God wants him to respond in a certain way. God's message is, "Tell me what you want me to do to convince you that what I say is right." What God wants Ahaz to do is to stand alone and not ally with Assyria. I will give you the sign you ask for, whether the sign is on the earth, above the earth, or below the earth. King, let me know what you want because I want to give you hope in the sign.

And Ahaz responds with, "I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test." And if the words sound familiar, they should. It alludes to Deuteronomy 6:16, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah" (Deuteronomy 6:16).

As Christians, we probably know the passage better from the Temptation of Jesus by Satan in the desert, right after his Baptism.

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:

"'He will command his angels concerning you,
               and they will lift you up in their hands,
               so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' (Matthew 4:5-7).

What both of these passages have in common is that they demand faith; if you keep God's commands, if you do what is right, and if you are a person of faith, you can be assured that God will take care of you. In the case of Ahab, it was exactly what his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had done. In the case of Jesus, this was the life story of Mary and Joseph, who took this child that God had given them and rejoiced over him, even though they were terrified.

The problem with Ahaz is that at the time of this conversation with God, Ahaz had no intention of placing his faith in God. He has other plans. To ask for a sign would mean that he was willing to follow God, so he puts on this pious face and says that we will not put God to the test. But what he is really saying is, "I am going to do this my way, God, so don't bother me."

Ahaz was about to choose a path he knew was wrong, but he was unwilling to bow his knee to God and do what was right. And I am betting that most of you are thinking of an incident when that is your story. It is not that you didn't know what was right; you chose not to do what God wanted because you wanted to do it your way. Maybe you even put a Christian spin on it and tried to pass off your way as God's, but deep down, you know it wasn't.

Ahaz had already decided he was going to join with Assyria, the biggest and baddest kid on the block, rather than place his faith and trust in God. He made his denial sound religious, but that wasn't really true. It was just his decision to put his faith and trust somewhere other than with God.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 1

He said, "Go and tell this people: " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' – Isaiah 6:9

Today's Scripture Reading (March 11, 2023): Isaiah 6

I fear where the Christian Church finds itself in the twenty-first century. The investment of those who oppose us is paying off. And I am not talking about other religions or people who openly preach against Christianity. They aren't half as dangerous as those we have welcomed into our midst. We watch their YouTube channels. We are convinced they are the experts, so we purchase their holy water, drawn from the River Jordan or pieces of the Cross of Christ. We believe them and allow them to indoctrinate us into hate as we shower them with our hard-earned money. We give them our Christianity to pervert however they see fit, and we believe them.

The problem is that we have been seduced into a lie that says certain things are more important than love. We preach the message, but sometimes it seems that no one is listening. We are too concerned about the Muslim agenda or the homosexual threat that the message of love that we should be preaching becomes lost in the noise. It is much easier to sell people on the danger that abortion presents to our countries, so support my non-profit now, than to teach people to love the deranged neighbor next door who seems to complain about everything we do. I mean, where is the profit in that?

God's message to Isaiah was that he was about to bring judgment on the land. And part of that judgment was that the people would focus on the unimportant things in life. God charges Isaiah to preach but also tells him that the people will hear the words but not understand. They would see but not really perceive. Seventeenth-century theologian John Trapp (1601-1669) said that God was telling Isaiah to go and preach the people to hell.    

Isaiah would deliver the message that the people would hear but ignore. And in the process, they would be signing their own death warrants.

A friend recently asked me why God would harden people's hearts, which is essentially what is happening here. It is a good question, and not one that is easy to answer. But part of it is understanding the ancient theological framework. The people believed that since God was all-powerful, everything came from him. In other words, he allowed it to happen if he didn't do it. And maybe that is the best way to view this; the people hardened their own hearts, but God was willing to allow them to do it.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 7

Personal Note: Happy Birthday, Dad.

Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. – Isaiah 5:8

Today's Scripture Reading (March 10, 2023): Isaiah 5

American author Gina Greenlee argues, "Much of what we acquire in life isn't worth dragging to the next leg of our journey. Travel light. You will be better equipped to travel far." It is a journey that I have been on for the past few years. My children have moved out of the house, and I am trying to figure out what I want to keep and what I can remove from my life. And the decisions come in two ways. I have never been a fan of knickknacks; you know, those little things we place on our homes' shelves collecting dust. If it were up to me, these dust collectors would all be removed from my house. But part of my struggle is that I have received many of these curiosities as gifts from people about whom I care. And so, they are hard to throw away.

My other struggle is books. I love books; my home office and the one I have at the church are packed with these treasures. And while I know I have to downsize my library in the near future, only keeping books that have a distinct purpose in my life, the task of downsizing is proving hard.

The truth is that things should have a purpose in our lives. But possession for the sake of ownership can be very damaging to the community and to us. Which is the point that Isaiah is trying to make. Adding on houses is useless when you can only live in one place. Buying up land is good to a point, but soon we begin to possess more land than we could possibly farm. The limit might not be the same for everyone, but there is a limit. As a result, not only do the houses lie empty and the land choked with weeds, but we cheat the world of the very things it needs from the land; crops.

Isaiah adds that it will also contribute to our loneliness. When we buy houses and land, there is no longer room for others in our lives, and the community becomes thin. We were made for community, but more than that, especially in ancient times, neighbors also added to the protection of the land. One family could be defeated by those who wanted to cause harm. But several could protect each other. And that continues to be true.

Sometimes, I know the thought of living alone in the middle of nowhere can seem like a good thing to those addicted to our books. But we were not designed for that. We were created for community; we really do need each other. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 6

 

 

Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. – Isaiah 4:5

Today's Scripture Reading (March 9, 2023): Isaiah 4

"Have you noticed how many people who walk in the shade curse the Sun?" The quote is from Afghan writer Idries Shah (1924-1996), who also wrote under his pen name Arkon Daraul. Shah is one of the people I wish I could sit down with to discuss some of the things he said. When I was in university in my early twenties, I was working with the writings of George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), who died a decade before I was born. At the time, he was someone else with whom I wished that I could have a conversation. And then, one night, I did. Well, kind of. Obviously, I was dreaming; the stress of an upcoming exam on "St. Joan" was probably the reason why I had the dream, but I actually felt that my subconscious was trying to help me understand the Irish playwright. Maybe I need the same with Idries Shah.

I am one of those who love the sun. Nothing is better than sitting in a hot environment with a good book on my lap and a beautiful waterfront to gaze at in those moments when I am not reading the pages. But I also have good friends who curse the sun. Sometimes, they just don't like the heat that comes from the sun. Sometimes, there are health issues that the sun aggravates. But the reality is that life only exists because of the presence of the sun. For those who like to walk in the shade, sometimes we need the reminder that life doesn't exist without the sun. And during the day, despite clouds that might block the sun or the trees that create the shade, you can't miss the sun's presence in the sky. And at night, the sun reflects off our moon, allowing us to see the satellite as it makes its way across the night sky.

Isaiah says that the day is coming when the presence of God will be tangible. God will be as obvious and present as the sun in the sky. It won't matter whether or not you believe; you will know that God is there. And then Isaiah uses an image taken from the wilderness wandering of Israel after they left Egypt. Exodus describes it this way.

By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people (Exodus 13:21-22).

God was present with his people then, and Isaiah believes it will be like that again.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 5