Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation. – 1 Chronicles 17:15

Today's Scripture Reading (July 18, 2025): 1 Chronicles 17

I received an email a while back from someone who purported to be a prophet of God. He was an unknown to me, but attached to the message was a chapter from his book. I enjoy reading, so I thought I would read a little of what this prophet had written. I was a little amused that the attached chapter of his book was written as if it were part of the Bible. The author had inserted verse numbers throughout the document. It was something that the original prophets had not done. The verse numbers in the Bible are a late addition and not part of the original document. But I felt that this contemporary prophet somehow believed that the addition of verse numbers gave him some form of authority.

The chapter from my prophet was relatively standard stuff. It was complete with typical warnings about the wrath of God if we did not change. There were warnings about the worship styles of the church, framed in the same way a Hebrew Prophet might have written them, which could be found in the Tanakh or the Hebrew Bible. He made accusations that the church has moved to follow idols instead of the one true God. There was a plea for monetary support so that the prophet could continue his ministry. (No, I did not give him any.)

There was a fundamental problem. I had no connection with this prophet except in his writing, which appeared to be designed to get my trust simply by resembling the prophecies of the biblical writers. There is a reason why I often include personal details in my writing. If you read my blog regularly, I would like you to get at least a sense of who I am. Why else would you place any trust in me? (And I try not to make any grandiose prophecies in my writing because you don't have any reason to trust what I might say.)

Nathan hears the word of God, and then he goes and tells David the entire revelation. But Nathan had an advantage; David knew Nathan and had come to trust, and even depend, on him. Nathan had never told David, "This is what God says," when God had not spoken. So, when Nathan speaks, David has the assurance that the words are coming from God.

Not all prophets had the same advantage. When Elijah walks into the presence of King Ahab, Elijah is a complete unknown. And, in some ways, it is no wonder that Ahab didn't believe him when Elijah announced the approaching drought. He had no reason to think that Elijah had told him what God had said. But by the time of the encounter at Mount Carmel, Ahab should have known that it was Israel's God who spoke through this itinerant prophet.

And it is this same problem that exists with the modern phenomenon of the traveling or email prophet. We need more Nathans who are willing to spend their entire ministries in one place. Or even a Paul, who was prepared to go and spend enough time in one place that the people could get to know them and trust that what he said was really the word of God.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Chronicles 18

See also 2 Samuel 7:17

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. – Psalm 106:1

Today's Scripture Reading (July 17, 2025): Psalm 106

Albert Einstein argued that we should 'never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it." It is good advice. Regardless of what the state might require of us, we must have the ability to follow our conscience, and the only caveat to that advice is that our conscience cannot intend to harm others. It might be that caveat that causes us the most trouble. We often place ourselves and our beliefs at the center of the way things should be. And so, if our conscience harms someone, well, that is because they are clearly in the wrong. It is the way that contemporary politics seem to work, and I admit I long for a time when our politicians understood that the people on the other side of the aisle were not evil or even our enemy, but simply people who believe differently. I may have a particular set of beliefs regarding fiscal policy or even our moral imperatives. You might disagree with me. And there is nothing wrong with that. I should be given the right to follow my conscience and voice my beliefs, just as you have the right to follow your conscience and speak your beliefs. But that doesn't make either of us evil; we simply disagree. I hope we can discuss our differences as well as the beliefs that we share without reacting as if one of us is evil.

As David opens this Psalm, the English translation can sound like he is making a demand of his readers. The King is ordering those under him to "Praise the Lord" and "Give thanks to the Lord." Then David seems to give the reason that backs his demand. We are to praise and give thanks to God because he is good, and his love endures forever.

However, that is probably not the intent of the Psalm. Instead of a King demanding a particular response from his people, in Hebrew, the intent seems to be that he is pleading for the people to give thanks. Despite what might have been happening in the nation and in the lives of the people, any negatives in their lives did not discount the fact that God was still good and still loved the people. The King James Version of the Bible adds an "O" in front of the request for thanks. "Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever" (Psalm 106:1). The added "O" allows us to read this phrase a plea to the consciences of the people that they would recognize the need for thanks despite the circumstances of the people's lives, rather than a demand for a particular response to God.

It is a plea that David extends to us. Despite the events unfolding on the world stage and the numerous challenging moments we are collectively experiencing in our contemporary era, we can give thanks to God because He is still good, and His love endures forever. And there is nothing in God's goodness that wishes to harm us. People might let us down, but God never will.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Chronicles 17

Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. – Psalm 105:2

Today's Scripture Reading (July 16, 2025): Psalm 105

For a high school biology test, I was struggling with the reproductive cycle of a plant. I remember studying late one night with a couple of friends who had to write the same exam. Late that night, we realized that we were in trouble. And that was when the idea came. We were all musicians who dreamed of one day making it in a band and writing our own songs. We already had a file full of lyrics and music, possible songs for that future band, so why not write a song that would help us with the test?

The result was a song we called "The Sex Life of a Plant." It was quirky and, to be honest, not very good. But it accomplished what we wanted it to achieve. The next day, as I looked at my friends, I could tell exactly where they were on the test; we were all singing the same song. And probably the most fantastic part of the whole thing was that we all passed, something that I think happened all because of the song we had written the night before. The song helped us remember the pertinent points that we needed for the exam.

Sometimes, we wonder why we bother to sing the songs we sing when we come to church on Sunday morning. Maybe the appropriate question we need to ask is this: Is singing (especially when I can't carry a tune) worth the effort? My answer is yes. Some walk among us who think that they can't learn anything useful from the Bible, or believe that theology is too complicated to understand, and yet every Sunday, they gather to sing the songs of the faith. And what they sometimes don't realize is that as they sing, they are often both quoting scripture and describing God. Describing or talking about God is the fundamental definition of Theology, and these singers probably know more than they think that they know, just as was true for me on that high school biology test.

This connection between the song and scripture and theology is what makes the songs we sing essential; as we sing, we describe God and tell of His wondrous works. We remember all the things that he has done in our midst, and as a result, our faith grows.

As we gather for worship, or even as we remember and start to sing a worship song while driving down the road or working in the garden, think about the words you are singing. Recognize how God is honored by the words that are coming out of your mouth. You know more about scripture than you think you do, and, yes, our songs are definitely worth the effort.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 106

Originally Published on July 24, 2011

 

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. – Psalm 96:12

Today's Scripture Reading (July 15, 2025): Psalm 95 & 96

I love the story of Gideon, although perhaps not the parts that most of us remember. I know, the story of Gideon that most of us remember is how he raised an army to take on the enemy that had invaded the land. God kept whittling Gideon's army down until it consisted of only three hundred willing men, we can hardly call these men warriors, whom God would use to defeat the Midianites. The point was that this story would not be about Gideon's military prowess or the overwhelming numbers of men Gideon had raised to stand up against the Midianite invaders. This story isn't really about Gideon; it's about God and what God would do to protect Israel.

My favorite part of the story is found at the beginning. The tale opens up with Gideon threshing wheat in a winepress. Now, we may miss the impact of this situation, but a winepress is a lousy place to thresh wheat; in fact, it doesn't even work well. What the winepress did was hide Gideon while he did his job, and it was an excellent place for making sure that Gideon got dirty. The concept behind threshing is that you throw the wheat into the air, and a gentle breeze carries the light husk away while the heavier seed falls to the ground. But there is no breeze, or not much, in a winepress. You throw the wheat up, and it all falls back down.

Gideon's problem is that there are Midianites in the area who want to raid the harvest and steal his seed. He is alone and scared. He needs the grain he has grown to feed his family and survive. So, he threshes his grain in a winepress.

It is in the winepress that the angel finds Gideon. The angel addresses him as a mighty warrior, but the comment is dripping with sarcasm. At that moment, Gideon didn't feel or look much like a mighty warrior.

But there is a truth found in the early part of the story that we miss; War has a tendency to impact the fields in which we farm and the forests where we might go for solitude. It has been one of the effects we have seen with the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Ukraine was the breadbasket of Eastern Europe, but bombs and armies have had a detrimental effect on farms and food production. As a result, the crops aren't grown and the people can't be fed.

David talks about a day of peace, and on this day, he says the fields will be jubilant and the forests will sing for joy. It is a day when the fields are left to yield their grain, and the trees bear their fruit with nothing to stop them. It is a time when farmers like Gideon can thresh their grain in the open because no one is waiting around the corner to steal the grain and deprive the fields and trees of their proper function.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 105

 

After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. – 1 Chronicles 16:2

Today's Scripture Reading (July 14, 2025): 1 Chronicles 16

In my little corner of the world, the long winter is over, and we are in the grasp of a hot summer. The difference in temperature between the depth of winter and the heat of summer can be around eighty degrees Celsius or over a hundred degrees on the Fahrenheit scale. And so, we make the most of all kinds of weather. Winter is a time for ice skating, hockey, skiing, and other snow or cold weather activities. It is also a time for sitting beside a warm fire with something warm in your hand to drink.

However, when the temperature rises, a different set of activities dominates our attention. Summer is time for sitting on a beach reading a good book; at least, that is my preferred mode of activity on a hot day. Right now, I am reading a Steve Berry thriller with a couple of other thrillers on deck to enjoy as soon as I turn the last page of my current book. It is also the time for playing games like football and baseball. Of course, it is also the time for the ever-present barbeque. There is nothing better than the smell of dinner on the grill when you are hungry at the end of a busy, or even not so-busy, day. This is precisely how I desire to spend my days right now.

The Book of Chronicles instructs us that David offered two sacrifices: a burnt offering and a fellowship offering. And then he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. It is an interesting thought. I am relatively certain that David offered these sacrifices through a priest; that would have been the proper procedure for any sacrifice. But blessing the people would also seem to be an action of the priest. So, what does the author mean when he states that David blessed the people?

Perhaps we should take a moment to examine the sacrifices the King made. First, it says that he offered a burnt offering. Burnt offerings were made for the consecration of a person or object. Here, it seems likely that it was the Ark itself that was being consecrated. Yes, it was seen as the seat of God, but it had been removed from the nation's worship center for decades. The Ark was lost to the Philistines at the Battle of Shiloh, which occurred around 1070 B.C.E. However, it didn't remain with the Philistines for long; it was likely returned to Israel that same year. But even after it was returned, it stayed on the edges of Israelite society for about the next seventy years. As the Ark is brought to Jerusalem, David wants to show God and the people that he has acknowledged the error of the previous seven decades and moves to consecrate the Ark once more.

Then, David offers a fellowship offering. A fellowship offering recognized the people's need for fellowship with God, but it also celebrated the fellowship they enjoyed with one another. And what was sacrificed in the fellowship offering was shared with the community. As David blesses the people, he invites them to come and eat the food that has been sacrificed in the presence of God and the company of the rest of Israel. It was an ancient barbecue that was shared with everyone present, a gesture of thanks to God and a blessing to the people.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalms 95 & 96

 

Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. – Psalm 24:8

Today's Scripture Reading (July 13, 2025): Psalm 24

In the wake of the crossing of the Red Sea, Israel was in a celebratory mood. And why wouldn't they be? They had just watched their God do amazing things on their behalf. It all started with the removal of a barrier. Israel had to know that, at some point, they would have to cross water. What they probably didn't think was that they were going to have to make the crossing at the point of a sword. Perhaps they thought they would build rafts and slowly ferry the people, animals, and possessions across the water over a period of days or weeks. Maybe they had a different image in mind, or perhaps they had never given it a thought. But as the Egyptian military closed in on them, the reality of crossing the water and needing to do it quickly became apparent.

I have mentioned elsewhere that there is a strong rabbinic tradition that Nahshon, the leader of the Tribe of Judah, was so anxious to cross the water that he ran into the Red Sea until he was neck-deep in the water. But the people really didn't have a choice. There are two realities about Nahshon's actions. It might have been, and I think it probably was, an act of faith on the part of Nahshon. Nahshon trusted that God, through Moses, would part the water. However, the second reality was that the people had no choice. If they stayed on the West side of the Red Sea, at best, they would be returned to slavery, and at worst, they would be killed. Even if the water was not parted, Nahshon was setting the example that said that if they got into the water, they at least had a chance to survive.

Exodus tells us that the water did part, and Nahshon and the rest of Israel successfully made their crossing without any loss of life. And then, when the military followed them, the water folded back into place, barring the Egyptian army from following the people of Israel. For Israel, the water parted, leaving a path to life, but for Egypt, the Sea continued to carry only delay and death.

In response to this harrowing escape, Moses wrote a song. The song begins with these words.

"I will sing to the Lord,
    for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
    he has hurled into the Sea.

"The Lord is my strength and my defense;
    he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
    my father's God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a warrior;
    the Lord is his name.
Pharaoh's chariots and his army
    he has hurled into the Sea.
The best of Pharaoh's officers
    are drowned in the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-4).

As David writes this Psalm, he reflects back to the Song of Moses in the wake of the Red Sea crossing. As David writes that the Lord is strong and mighty and that he is mighty in battle, he is using a stronger form of the title for God that Moses used in his song. As Moses sang, "The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name" (Exodus 15:3), he was laying the groundwork for David's words, "The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle" (Psalm 24:8).

Yet, he is also a God who is gentle enough that we can invite him into our lives. God isn't one or the other; he is both.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Chronicles 16

I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. – Psalm 16:8

Today's Scripture Reading (July 12, 2025): Psalms 15 & 16

I struggle with the populist political movements that seem to be thriving globally. Part of my problem is that while they masquerade as conservative movements, that does not seem to be what they are, at least not any kind of conservatism of which I am aware. Populist movements have shifted away from the conservative-liberal continuum toward something else. They cannot be described as centrist and often exhibit contradictory leadership styles and goals, sometimes adopting a conservative approach and, at other times, a very liberal one. They frequently focus their policies internally but will move to an international focus if it suits them. Perhaps, once, America First, Canada First, or Britain First political strategies might have been effective. But that time has passed, and there is no going back. Isolation is death. Maybe it always has been. After all, this kind of isolation seems to be the sin of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Genesis story. We try to make that sin into something else, but the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was that they had placed themselves first above everything else and had forsaken the stranger and the powerless who needed their help. These cities were destroyed, and I am convinced that this is the fate of every civilization that turns its eyes inward.

As people of the Book, this kind of focus is against who we were created to be. Our focus was never intended to be focused internally. Repeatedly, the Bible instructs us to keep our focus on God. We are to see our world not through the eyes of a political leader but through the eyes of Jesus. We are to see as He sees, feel as He feels, and react with his purpose. It is a focus that wipes out everything we might feel and places us on a different plane, neither conservative nor liberal, but not populist either. George Horne (1730-1792), the Bishop of Norwich, responded to these words in Psalm 16 as follows.

In the ultimate sense, only Jesus did this perfectly. He was always in the intimate presence of His Father. "The method taken by Christ, as man, to support himself in time of trouble, and persevere unto the end, was to maintain a constant and actual sense of the presence of Jehovah…he then feared not the powers of earth and hell combined for his destruction." (Horne)

David had decided to place God at the center of his focus for his life. He wouldn't be perfect in this focus. His dalliance with Bathsheba would come at a time when David would take his eyes off of God and place them on his wants and desires. But this would be his aim. And as long as God was David's focus, David remained unshaken by whatever was happening around him.

As long as our focus is on God, we won't be shaken either.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 24