The Philistines and the Cart: Returning the Ark
“Then send it off and let it go its way 9 and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.” –
The Philistines had come into possession of the Ark of the covenant because Eli’s sons (and the rest of the elders of Israel) chose to use it as a standard for war, a way to rally the people, to help them to fight, and as a ‘god of war.’ They, the Philistines, felt that they had essentially captured Israel’s God, and proceeded to place it at the feet of their own god, saying ”see, your god is less than ours.” Unfortunately for the Philistines, though, this began to lead to all sorts of trouble for their cities; every province to which they moved the ark was struck with panics, tumors and other strange occurrences. Eventually, some wise men in the Philistine cities suggested that they should probably return the Ark to the Israelites, lest they all be destroyed by some severe catastrophe.
Just sending the ark off wasn’t good enough, of course. They couldn’t bear to accept that there might be a more powerful God than theirs, so they devised a plan to return the Ark in a manner that they figured would pretty much prove without a doubt that all the incidents that had been happening were just coincidence. Putting the Ark in a cart, along with their guilt offerings of golden tumors and rats, they took two milk cows who were still nursing their young and had never been yoked to any cart, strapped them to the front of the cart with the Ark, and sent them off in some random direction. If the cart went toward the land of the Israelites, then they would know that it was God that had been cursing them.
Remember, now, that these cows had never known a yoke. They have never learned to work with another to pull a load. They also had just been removed from their calves – the ‘motherly instinct’ should normally kick in; they should turn, fight against the yoke, and try to get to their children.
Instead, though, they left. They were lowing the whole time for their children, but they left. They headed straight for the land of the Israelites. The cows went against every instinct they had to return the cart containing the Ark to the people of the Lord.
They, the Philistines, tested the Lord, and the Lord showed them that it was indeed he who did the things that plagued them.
Do you find yourself building carts of trial, to require that God prove that He is who He says He is?
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8 And take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way 9 and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.” (ESV)
Crucified with Christ
We are crucified with Christ!
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – , ESV
“So, wait, what does that mean, exactly? I mean – crucified, that’s kind of… a bad thing, right? Hung up to die of blood loss and suffocation… I thought that that was why… wait, does this mean i have to actually die the way Christ did in order to be ‘saved?!’ This sounds awful!” said no one in particular, though I’m sure some similar thoughts have been thought by some individual or another, if only not quite as hyperbolic.
The overall question is there though – what does it actually mean to die, to be crucified, with Christ?
To answer that, let’s roll back to the Mosaic times for a moment. What happens throughout all of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy? (Except for a lot of repeated historical accounts. Moses really hammers some of those events home, doesn’t he?) They sacrifice animals. A lot of animals. (, , , , , , , just to name… a few.) As you may recall, some of the sacrifices mentioned in the Mosaic books (the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) were called ‘sin offerings’ and were intended to be given in payment for the sins of the people and individuals giving them.
So – in order to pay for the sins of the people, animals had to die, because the penalty for sin is death. Christ came along, and changed all that for us, though. He, being perfect and without sin, took the weight of our sin, the very penalty for our transgression, upon himself, and died so that we would not have to. To be crucified with Christ means that we have given up our lives to him, that our old ‘self’ has died, and that we become alive in the sacrifice of Christ.
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20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (ESV)
3 And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the Lord: two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering. (ESV)
9 “On the Sabbath day, two male lambs a year old without blemish, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering: (ESV)
11 “At the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; (ESV)
19 but offer a food offering, a burnt offering to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; see that they are without blemish; (ESV)
27 but offer a burnt offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; (ESV)
2 and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; (ESV)
8 but you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old: see that they are without blemish. (ESV)
13 And you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord, thirteen bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish;
Numbers 29:17
17 “On the second day twelve bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
Numbers 29:20
20 “On the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
Numbers 29:22
22 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
Numbers 29:23
23 “On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
Numbers 29:25
25 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.
Numbers 29:26
26 “On the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
Numbers 29:28
28 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
Numbers 29:29
29 “On the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
Numbers 29:31
31 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offerings.
Numbers 29:32
32 “On the seventh day seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
Numbers 29:34
34 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
Numbers 29:35
35 “On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall not do any ordinary work,
Numbers 29:38
38 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering. (ESV)
Fighting Back Against Fear
Sometimes the Bible verses people point to to deal with fear aren’t all that helpful to me. First, there are the ones that tackle the issue head-on, like , which says:
Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God.
Then there are ones that describe peace as the antidote to fear, like :
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything…let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts…
Don’t get me wrong: these are amazing promises of God, and under some circumstances they’re incredibly helpful to overcome fear. But lately I’ve been struggling with a particular kind of fear for which they haven’t been as helpful: a paralyzing fear, a fear that keeps me from acting. I write software, and I’m struggling with fear about project work and team interactions. I have fear about talking to team members about tensions, fear about telling clients when we can’t meet a commitment, and fear about seeing dozens of bug reports in my inbox. This fear is a paralyzing fear because it keeps me from doing the things I need to do to solve these problems.
With a paralyzing fear like this, just to hear “fear not” isn’t helpful, because I already know I shouldn’t fear, and even why I shouldn’t fear (because God is God). What I need is a way to think about actively approaching the things I fear. The concept of peace also isn’t helpful, because peace itself is passive, and I need to know about the active thing I need to do.
Here’s what I think does help: the concept of courage. I would define courage as the ability to act in the face of fear. There are several places throughout the Old Testament when the people of Israel are commanded to “be strong and courageous” in the face of their enemies (, , , ). But my favorite image about courage is from Proverbs: “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion” (28:1). Like the wicked in this parable, I worry even when nothing is wrong—but instead, I want to be bold in the face of challenges.
Who do you look up to who’s bold as a lion? Is it a character from a movie? A historical figure? Choose one that’s personal for you, whose story you know well and resonate with. Let the example of that person inspire you to be bold in your own life. Also, any historical or fictional character who inspires us is ultimately an image of the ultimate in boldness, the Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ. He became a man and suffered under the same weaknesses that affect us. He stood up to the confrontation of Satan, whom he called “the ruler of this world” (). Although full of sorrow, he took the crushing weight of God’s wrath for sin. By doing so, he achieved victory over death itself, for himself and for everyone who trusts in him. As the epitome of boldness, Jesus is both an example and a present helper in our efforts to be bold as well. So when fear paralyzes you and peace isn’t enough, be bold.
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10 fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (ESV)
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (ESV)
31:1 So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them, “I am 120 years old today. I am no longer able to go out and come in. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’ 3 The Lord your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, as the Lord has spoken. 4 And the Lord will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them. 5 And the Lord will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
9 Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”
14 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. 15 And the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.
16 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. 17 Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ 18 And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods.
19 “Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel. 20 For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. 21 And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring). For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give.” 22 So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel.
23 And the Lord commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.”
24 When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book to the very end, 25 Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, 26 “Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you. 27 For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the Lord. How much more after my death! 28 Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And in the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.”
30 Then Moses spoke the words of this song until they were finished, in the ears of all the assembly of Israel: (ESV)
1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
10 And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, 11 “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’”
12 And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, 13 “Remember the word that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them, 15 until the Lord gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
16 And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! 18 Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.” (ESV)
22:1 Then David said, “Here shall be the house of the Lord God and here the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”
2 David commanded to gather together the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to prepare dressed stones for building the house of God. 3 David also provided great quantities of iron for nails for the doors of the gates and for clamps, as well as bronze in quantities beyond weighing, 4 and cedar timbers without number, for the Sidonians and Tyrians brought great quantities of cedar to David. 5 For David said, “Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it.” So David provided materials in great quantity before his death.
6 Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. 7 David said to Solomon, “My son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. 8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth. 9 Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10 He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.’
11 “Now, my son, the Lord be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as he has spoken concerning you. 12 Only, may the Lord grant you discretion and understanding, that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the Lord your God. 13 Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed. 14 With great pains I have provided for the house of the Lord 100,000 talents of gold, a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weighing, for there is so much of it; timber and stone, too, I have provided. To these you must add. 15 You have an abundance of workmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skilled in working 16 gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Arise and work! The Lord be with you!”
17 David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, 18 “Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not given you peace on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and his people. 19 Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built for the name of the Lord.”
1 Chronicles 28
28:1 David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the officials of the tribes, the officers of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, the stewards of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the seasoned warriors. 2 Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building. 3 But God said to me, ‘You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ 4 Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me from all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father’s house, and among my father’s sons he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. 5 And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 6 He said to me, ‘It is Solomon your son who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. 7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he continues strong in keeping my commandments and my rules, as he is today.’ 8 Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever.
9 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. 10 Be careful now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.”
11 Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple, and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its inner chambers, and of the room for the mercy seat; 12 and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of the Lord, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for dedicated gifts; 13 for the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, and all the work of the service in the house of the Lord; for all the vessels for the service in the house of the Lord, 14 the weight of gold for all golden vessels for each service, the weight of silver vessels for each service, 15 the weight of the golden lampstands and their lamps, the weight of gold for each lampstand and its lamps, the weight of silver for a lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand in the service, 16 the weight of gold for each table for the showbread, the silver for the silver tables, 17 and pure gold for the forks, the basins and the cups; for the golden bowls and the weight of each; for the silver bowls and the weight of each; 18 for the altar of incense made of refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 19 “All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the Lord, all the work to be done according to the plan.”
20 Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. 21 And behold the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and with you in all the work will be every willing man who has skill for any kind of service; also the officers and all the people will be wholly at your command.” (ESV)
32:1 After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself. 2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem, 3 he planned with his officers and his mighty men to stop the water of the springs that were outside the city; and they helped him. 4 A great many people were gathered, and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?” 5 He set to work resolutely and built up all the wall that was broken down and raised towers upon it, and outside it he built another wall, and he strengthened the Millo in the city of David. He also made weapons and shields in abundance. 6 And he set combat commanders over the people and gathered them together to him in the square at the gate of the city and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, 7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9 After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria, who was besieging Lachish with all his forces, sent his servants to Jerusalem to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, 10 “Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘On what are you trusting, that you endure the siege in Jerusalem? 11 Is not Hezekiah misleading you, that he may give you over to die by famine and by thirst, when he tells you, “The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”? 12 Has not this same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, “Before one altar you shall worship, and on it you shall burn your sacrifices”? 13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to deliver their lands out of my hand? 14 Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers devoted to destruction was able to deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand? 15 Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!’”
16 And his servants said still more against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 And he wrote letters to cast contempt on the Lord, the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, “Like the gods of the nations of the lands who have not delivered their people from my hands, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people from my hand.” 18 And they shouted it with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, in order that they might take the city. 19 And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as they spoke of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men’s hands.
20 Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this and cried to heaven. 21 And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warriors and commanders and officers in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he came into the house of his god, some of his own sons struck him down there with the sword. 22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all his enemies, and he provided for them on every side. 23 And many brought gifts to the Lord to Jerusalem and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from that time onward.
24 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death, and he prayed to the Lord, and he answered him and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem. 26 But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
27 And Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made for himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of costly vessels; 28 storehouses also for the yield of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and sheepfolds. 29 He likewise provided cities for himself, and flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very great possessions. 30 This same Hezekiah closed the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. 31 And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart.
32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his good deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper part of the tombs of the sons of David, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honor at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his place. (ESV)
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. (ESV)
On the Death of a Seed
How can a seed die, and still become a plant?
For the longest time I drew issue with this language, that a seed would need to die in order to become a plant. Why did I have trouble with this? Mostly because, in my mind, a seed doesn’t die when it becomes a plant. Quite the opposite, in fact; a seed is full of the potential of life (and continues to be so) as it becomes a plant!
The problem, though, was with how I viewed the process. I was looking at it from a very… well, scientific perspective. The seed is planted, it undergoes some sort of process (it varies a little bit on the plant type, but remains essentially the same), and then a sprout appears, and grows into a full fledged plant.
But what of the seed? Can you dig up the plant, and find it’s seed down at the bottom, with plantybits growing from it’s insides? No! It’s essentially died to itself! It ceases to be a seed in order that the plant would live, it can no longer find it’s identity in that of it’s old self, a seed. And in this way, it has died, it has ceased to exist as it’s original self.
It’s become something far different, and lives a new kind of life. From the “potential” of life that is contained within the seed comes a new life, capable of producing fruit. Where a seed cannot produce fruit, it’s plant form can. It can’t do this on it’s own, though, it needs to be planted, nurtured, and nourished.
Some seeds, though, do not ‘die to themselves.’ Perhaps they are rotten, or are lacking some necessary element, be that internal or external (such as fertilizer, soil, or sunlight), or they just don’t take a proper hold in the ground. These seeds do not grow into anything other than themselves, and they are eventually forgotten, lost in the dirt, or thrown into a fire to be burned.
This is seen both in the process of an unbeliever becoming a believer, as well as an Christian who is raised to life in Christ, in the resurrection of the dead.
Do you agree with this observation, or do you see it in a different light?
“35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. “ – , ESV
“23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. “ – , NIV
“13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”” – , ESV
Killer album of the moment:The Light Came Down
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35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. (ESV)
23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (ESV)
13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.” (ESV)
You Are What You Eat
“23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it. “ –
“You are what you eat.”
It’s a pretty well known phrase, right? You’d probably be pretty hard pressed to find anyone who hasn’t actually heard that before. Funny thing is, though, I’ve never actually seen anyone turn into a pizza. (If you have, please post that stuff on YouTube. I’d love to see it)
The phrase in a literal sense implies a physical change, a deviation from normal ‘humanity’ due to simply ingesting an item of food repeatedly, but we know that the meaning is far more subtle: when you eat bad food, you’re going to have a bad body. Think of your body like your car, with an engine that needs fuel. If you were to put grungy, slimy, contaminated gasoline in your car’s tank once or twice, you’ll probably be OK. The car will likely handle it just fine; it’s the repeated fill ups with that grungy gasoline that will eventually start to do so much damage to the car’s engine that you will soon find yourself in the market for a new vehicle.
Your mind is much the same, actually. What you feed it dictates how it runs, and that, in turn, affects the manner in which you live 
your life. Your outward behavior is dictated by your experiences, what you watch, what you read, and what you listen to. If you spend your days reading romance novels, your view of what real romance and relationships are is going to be skewed. If you listen to the Top 40 radio station all the time, you’re going to begin to define your worldview much the same as it’s told in the songs they play on that station… but you probably won’t be finding God in those songs. The things we consume, consume us, and we become what we consume.
“ 11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you. “ – , ESV
There’s hope of course. There is always hope for those who know the Lord…
If you spend time with your Father in prayer, and in His Word, then you will find that He just… keeps turning up everywhere. In your thoughts, in your relationships with other people… in the actions that you take, your dreams, and the words that you speak.
You are what you eat, and what you consume will consume you. Where does your nourishment come from?
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23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life. (ESV)
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you. (ESV)
Don’t Hold Your Tongue – Open with God
What does it mean to be open with God?
Tell me how you really feel
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth,the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him,“Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
, ESV
Would you say that Nathanael was real with Jesus here? I know that I would; you see, Nathanael essentially insulted Jesus’ hometown. When presented with the idea that anything good could come from such a lowly town as Nazareth, he balked at the very idea, simply out of habit! Nazareth was a poor town, ‘political figureheads’ and ‘religious leaders’ were not likely to arise from within its… ruins – the town was destroyed by the Assyrians at the fall of the Northern Kingdom around 720 BC, and never really recovered.
So, then, how did Jesus respond to Nathanael’s blatantly insulting statement? “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” His reply was really praise, with openness, and with exclamation! Take a moment and think about this – how often did Jesus respond to anyone with this amount of emphasis, short of major events?
It would seem to me that Jesus was rather pleased by Nathanael’s honesty, when he didn’t hold his tongue. Jesus was responding in kind to Nathanael’s comment; Nathanael was real about his shock that the Messiah could come from such a place as Nazareth, and he was not afraid to express it. Nathanael knew who he was, and he wasn’t trying to hide it from anyone, and his openness was welcomed by Christ in return.
Are you open with God? Are you willing to listen when He responds?
states, “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.”
How can we be real with God and with ourselves?
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44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (ESV)
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. (ESV)