Based on Titus 3:1
Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work (Titus 3:1)
This doesn't sit really well with us 21st Century Australians. Well, we don't mind doing good works, though maybe not every good work. But we don't want to submit to authorities. We want our authorities to submit to us.
It is good not to be a slave to the will of others. But we need to learn to be respectful for our own sakes.
Saturday, 26 September 2015
Monday, 21 September 2015
Judges 16:22
Judges 16:22
Howbeit the hair of Samson's head began to grow back again after it was shaved. This seems really obvious, but the "howbeit" suggests that the regrowth of his hair is portentous, the fact that it is will be confirmed later in the story. Samson did a lot of wrong things, and even apart from sins, Samson made a lot of mistakes. None of these resulted in Samson losing his strength, only the shaving of his hair. It seems like Samson's hair regrowing indicates that things are about to get better for him.
God works in mysterious ways. God is gracious enough to overlook a multitude of our mistakes, but sometimes something seemingly small can bring us great grief. Samson's unshaved hair was a part of his religious identity, perhaps that is why it was more significant than his lust for less than ideal women. God has given each of us an identity, we need to protect it from anything that would bring dishonour to His name.
Howbeit the hair of Samson's head began to grow back again after it was shaved. This seems really obvious, but the "howbeit" suggests that the regrowth of his hair is portentous, the fact that it is will be confirmed later in the story. Samson did a lot of wrong things, and even apart from sins, Samson made a lot of mistakes. None of these resulted in Samson losing his strength, only the shaving of his hair. It seems like Samson's hair regrowing indicates that things are about to get better for him.
God works in mysterious ways. God is gracious enough to overlook a multitude of our mistakes, but sometimes something seemingly small can bring us great grief. Samson's unshaved hair was a part of his religious identity, perhaps that is why it was more significant than his lust for less than ideal women. God has given each of us an identity, we need to protect it from anything that would bring dishonour to His name.
Sunday, 20 September 2015
Judges 16:6-21
Judges 16:6-21
Be careful who your friends are. Samson ended up mutilated and in slavery because he did not leave Delilah. She was never his lawful wife, but he loved her and he would not leave her. Delilah was obviously trying to do something tricky with Samson, but he just kept coming back.
Samson needed to get out and meet some new people. Samson needed to spend some time with people who honoured God. Samson had been associating with twisted people so long he thought it was normal. He needed to heed the wisdom of God and stay away form these people.
This is articulated well in Proverbs 1:10-19, though Samson would not have had access to that, since it was not yet written.
Be kind to many, but trust few.
Be careful who your friends are. Samson ended up mutilated and in slavery because he did not leave Delilah. She was never his lawful wife, but he loved her and he would not leave her. Delilah was obviously trying to do something tricky with Samson, but he just kept coming back.
Samson needed to get out and meet some new people. Samson needed to spend some time with people who honoured God. Samson had been associating with twisted people so long he thought it was normal. He needed to heed the wisdom of God and stay away form these people.
This is articulated well in Proverbs 1:10-19, though Samson would not have had access to that, since it was not yet written.
Be kind to many, but trust few.
Wednesday, 16 September 2015
Isaiah 64:1-5
Based on Isaiah 64:1-5
We need to be saved. That pretty well sums up a large portion of Scripture.
I think this must be the passage that 1 Corinthians 2:9 is based on:
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
In the Isaiah passage it is written that since the beginning of the world nobody has observed any God but Jehovah who takes action for those who depend on Him.
All this is follows imagery of God coming down and making the mountains tremble, all to save His people from their sins.
We need to be saved. That pretty well sums up a large portion of Scripture.
I think this must be the passage that 1 Corinthians 2:9 is based on:
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
In the Isaiah passage it is written that since the beginning of the world nobody has observed any God but Jehovah who takes action for those who depend on Him.
All this is follows imagery of God coming down and making the mountains tremble, all to save His people from their sins.
Friday, 11 September 2015
Judges 16:4-5 // Lover of Money
Based on Judges 16:4-5
Now for a third time Samson finds a Philistine woman to desire. Maybe there were many more instances, but we only have records of three.
We are told that Samson loved Delilah. But it is certain that Delilah did not love him very much. The woman Samson married in his youth cheated him out of some money because of death threats. Delilah was content to cheat Samson of his life for money.
It was certainly an offer of a lot of money. There were five lords of the Philistines, and each promised 1,100 pieces of silver. Delilah would certainly have been wondering what was going on when first the foreigner Samson and then every ruler of her people started paying her attentions.
Delilah is named, perhaps because she is the only one of the three Philistine women who can actually be considered a villain. The other two were more like victims of their circumstances. Delilah was not threatened, she was bribed. The lords of the Philistines had to resort to a large bribe, maybe she was from a powerful family. She had the choice to be loyal to her lover, but chose to betray him for money.
In a similar way, Jesus' church has often betrayed him throughout history. That is, by not protecting his faithful followers under her care, but persecuting them instead. The love of gain and success has been a trap for the church in the past. Temptation must be overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and the Lamb's people must be protected.
Now for a third time Samson finds a Philistine woman to desire. Maybe there were many more instances, but we only have records of three.
We are told that Samson loved Delilah. But it is certain that Delilah did not love him very much. The woman Samson married in his youth cheated him out of some money because of death threats. Delilah was content to cheat Samson of his life for money.
It was certainly an offer of a lot of money. There were five lords of the Philistines, and each promised 1,100 pieces of silver. Delilah would certainly have been wondering what was going on when first the foreigner Samson and then every ruler of her people started paying her attentions.
Delilah is named, perhaps because she is the only one of the three Philistine women who can actually be considered a villain. The other two were more like victims of their circumstances. Delilah was not threatened, she was bribed. The lords of the Philistines had to resort to a large bribe, maybe she was from a powerful family. She had the choice to be loyal to her lover, but chose to betray him for money.
In a similar way, Jesus' church has often betrayed him throughout history. That is, by not protecting his faithful followers under her care, but persecuting them instead. The love of gain and success has been a trap for the church in the past. Temptation must be overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and the Lamb's people must be protected.
Monday, 7 September 2015
Kindness
Based on Titus 3:1-5
We as Christians are to be obedient to our governments and not critical of anyone. This can be difficult. We tend to see the government as against us, along with everyone else who is not a Christian. Paul reminds us that it is the grace of Christ that has transformed us from the faults of those in the world and therefore we can empathise with them and do to them as we would have wanted others to do to us.
It's easy to say, not so easy to do. It all starts with today, find kind words to express yourself today.
We as Christians are to be obedient to our governments and not critical of anyone. This can be difficult. We tend to see the government as against us, along with everyone else who is not a Christian. Paul reminds us that it is the grace of Christ that has transformed us from the faults of those in the world and therefore we can empathise with them and do to them as we would have wanted others to do to us.
It's easy to say, not so easy to do. It all starts with today, find kind words to express yourself today.
Saturday, 5 September 2015
Judges 16:1-3 // Weakness in Strength
Based on Judges 16:1-3
What Samson was doing in Gaza I don't know. The fact that Samson was always noticing Philistine women requires that he spent a fair bit of time hanging around there.
Maybe this was Samson's fault. Samson had trouble resisting Philistine women, but at least he could stay away from being always in contact with them. It really is easier to resist temptation if you don't get as close to it as you can without "crossing the line."
Samson is definitely someone to be pitied. He really seems to be cast adrift, looking for meaning in all the wrong places. We ought to pray for people who are in danger of going astray, and doing what we can to reach out to them personally.
Samson had the strength to carry a massive load a long way, but not to have a meaningful life. Samson needed Jesus, and you and I do too.
What Samson was doing in Gaza I don't know. The fact that Samson was always noticing Philistine women requires that he spent a fair bit of time hanging around there.
Maybe this was Samson's fault. Samson had trouble resisting Philistine women, but at least he could stay away from being always in contact with them. It really is easier to resist temptation if you don't get as close to it as you can without "crossing the line."
Samson is definitely someone to be pitied. He really seems to be cast adrift, looking for meaning in all the wrong places. We ought to pray for people who are in danger of going astray, and doing what we can to reach out to them personally.
Samson had the strength to carry a massive load a long way, but not to have a meaningful life. Samson needed Jesus, and you and I do too.
Thursday, 3 September 2015
Judges 15 // Juvenile Delinquent
Based on Judges 15
Samson and the Philistines are a good match… if you like bloodshed and mutual annihilation that is. After a while Samson got over his anger and came back to get his wife… specifically to sleep with her. Her father wouldn't let this happen because for some unclear reason he had given her to his best man. Then her father offers his younger daughter instead, which seems a fairly unrealistic proposition, Samson would need something really wrong with him to go along with that.
So Samson is unhappy, but he seems to be overreacting somewhat when he makes the first version of Firefox. He does this by the incredible feat of actually catching 300 foxes and using them to spread fires all over the Philistine wheat fields. This would have been an economic disaster for the Philistines, and seems a bit much considering that Samson was the one who left in a huff at the end of his wedding without his wife.
The Philistines are a match for Samson though, and act just as irrationally, burning Samson's wife and her father to death. Samson is understandably upset by this, and goes on a killing spree, we don't know how many people he killed. I don't know what the reference to "hip and thigh" is, I'd be interested to find out though. Anyway, Samson decides "its the hermit's life for me" and goes and lives on a rock where the Philistines come looking for him.
Samson must be pretty torn up at this point. He's lost the woman he loves and he knows it's his own fault. So he doesn't care too much what happens to him. But he still hates the Philistines.
The Philistines raise an army to come looking for Samson, and send the men of Judah to fetch him. Samson doesn't want to cause trouble for his own people and goes along with them and then kills as many of the Philistine army who will stand and fight.
He famously does this with a donkey's jawbone. He less famously sings a song about it. It wasn't a very good one, but the Philistines thought it was a hit. People who know nothing about art and culture have been called Philistines ever since. (Tongue in cheek)
The finale is that God gave Samson a water fountain out of the same jaw bone because he complains he's thirsty. Reminds me of the exodus.
And the epilogue is that Samson judges Israel for 20 years.
What can we get out of this story? If God is willing to work with and care for a juvenile delinquent like Samson, he can do the same with you and me.
Samson and the Philistines are a good match… if you like bloodshed and mutual annihilation that is. After a while Samson got over his anger and came back to get his wife… specifically to sleep with her. Her father wouldn't let this happen because for some unclear reason he had given her to his best man. Then her father offers his younger daughter instead, which seems a fairly unrealistic proposition, Samson would need something really wrong with him to go along with that.
So Samson is unhappy, but he seems to be overreacting somewhat when he makes the first version of Firefox. He does this by the incredible feat of actually catching 300 foxes and using them to spread fires all over the Philistine wheat fields. This would have been an economic disaster for the Philistines, and seems a bit much considering that Samson was the one who left in a huff at the end of his wedding without his wife.
The Philistines are a match for Samson though, and act just as irrationally, burning Samson's wife and her father to death. Samson is understandably upset by this, and goes on a killing spree, we don't know how many people he killed. I don't know what the reference to "hip and thigh" is, I'd be interested to find out though. Anyway, Samson decides "its the hermit's life for me" and goes and lives on a rock where the Philistines come looking for him.
Samson must be pretty torn up at this point. He's lost the woman he loves and he knows it's his own fault. So he doesn't care too much what happens to him. But he still hates the Philistines.
The Philistines raise an army to come looking for Samson, and send the men of Judah to fetch him. Samson doesn't want to cause trouble for his own people and goes along with them and then kills as many of the Philistine army who will stand and fight.
He famously does this with a donkey's jawbone. He less famously sings a song about it. It wasn't a very good one, but the Philistines thought it was a hit. People who know nothing about art and culture have been called Philistines ever since. (Tongue in cheek)
The finale is that God gave Samson a water fountain out of the same jaw bone because he complains he's thirsty. Reminds me of the exodus.
And the epilogue is that Samson judges Israel for 20 years.
What can we get out of this story? If God is willing to work with and care for a juvenile delinquent like Samson, he can do the same with you and me.
Wednesday, 2 September 2015
Judges 14 // Worst Wedding Ever
Judges 14
This is Samson's first attempt at love, so at this point one can feel a bit sorry for him, because this is the first of a miserable series of stories. Samson's big mistake is to be fooled by superficial glamour, and this leads on to everything that follows. Samson's parents frustration is understandable, there are a lot of Israelite women that Samson could have chosen, but he has picked a Philistine. Is is because of her wonderful personality? No, he sees her and wants her. This will become a pattern.
The Philistines were a much more technologically developed civilisation than the Israelites and much less morally developed. As such, Philistine women would have a had a lot more access to makeup and other means of attracting male attention than Israelite women.
I personally don't like the the look of the "painted" woman, and I don't think this is completely unusual. But it doesn't have to be about actually looking appealing, the way women typically present themselves proclaims availability rather than beauty. For a man who doesn't mind having multiple partners, availability is much more important than beauty. The Philistine culture would have made their women seem a lot more readily "available" than the Israelite, and this would have been appealing for the impulsive Samson.
Samson's Philistine groomsmen were so miserly that he was forced to buy 30 suits instead of each of them buying one. I'm glad mine aren't like that. Samson reacted understandably and killed 30 people… I mean Samson reacted inexcusably and killed 30 people to take their suits! What a terrible guy! This will become a pattern. Israel at this time was the wild west.
We also see here the first instance of Samson being manipulated by his desperate bride who is getting death threats form his demonic Philistine groomsmen. I'm glad mine aren't like that. In case you think they're joking, they're not, you'll see later because… this will become a pattern.
Someone once played me a One Direction song which had some words about "the story of my life" with something about taking a girl home. Perhaps those children would be able to relate to Samson. Incidentally, Samson may not be a lot older than them when this story takes place. This too is the story of his life.
This really was the worst wedding ever. The bride was crying the whole time and the groom didn't know why. The groomsmen were stingy blackmailers. The groom was a mass murderer. The groom's parents only approved the wedding so the groom would end up killing lots of Philistines.
How much of what we do is for selfish motives? Is there a difference between selfish motives and righteously finding our heart's desires? I would say yes, Samson should have gone for an Israelitess.
This is Samson's first attempt at love, so at this point one can feel a bit sorry for him, because this is the first of a miserable series of stories. Samson's big mistake is to be fooled by superficial glamour, and this leads on to everything that follows. Samson's parents frustration is understandable, there are a lot of Israelite women that Samson could have chosen, but he has picked a Philistine. Is is because of her wonderful personality? No, he sees her and wants her. This will become a pattern.
The Philistines were a much more technologically developed civilisation than the Israelites and much less morally developed. As such, Philistine women would have a had a lot more access to makeup and other means of attracting male attention than Israelite women.
I personally don't like the the look of the "painted" woman, and I don't think this is completely unusual. But it doesn't have to be about actually looking appealing, the way women typically present themselves proclaims availability rather than beauty. For a man who doesn't mind having multiple partners, availability is much more important than beauty. The Philistine culture would have made their women seem a lot more readily "available" than the Israelite, and this would have been appealing for the impulsive Samson.
Samson's Philistine groomsmen were so miserly that he was forced to buy 30 suits instead of each of them buying one. I'm glad mine aren't like that. Samson reacted understandably and killed 30 people… I mean Samson reacted inexcusably and killed 30 people to take their suits! What a terrible guy! This will become a pattern. Israel at this time was the wild west.
We also see here the first instance of Samson being manipulated by his desperate bride who is getting death threats form his demonic Philistine groomsmen. I'm glad mine aren't like that. In case you think they're joking, they're not, you'll see later because… this will become a pattern.
Someone once played me a One Direction song which had some words about "the story of my life" with something about taking a girl home. Perhaps those children would be able to relate to Samson. Incidentally, Samson may not be a lot older than them when this story takes place. This too is the story of his life.
This really was the worst wedding ever. The bride was crying the whole time and the groom didn't know why. The groomsmen were stingy blackmailers. The groom was a mass murderer. The groom's parents only approved the wedding so the groom would end up killing lots of Philistines.
How much of what we do is for selfish motives? Is there a difference between selfish motives and righteously finding our heart's desires? I would say yes, Samson should have gone for an Israelitess.
Tuesday, 1 September 2015
Judges 13:6-25 // In Step
Judges 13:6-25
The theme of this passage seems to be how bad Manoah is.
Manoah's wife tells him what the angel told her, and Manoah's reaction is to ask God to send the "man" to talk to him instead. Manoah has some sort of pretext for why he wants to see the "man", but when the angel comes he answers Manoah's question by repeating his instruction given to the woman.
Next he tries to invite the angel to dinner, still thinking it is a man. In the case of Abraham this seems to have been commendable, in the case of Manoah, the angel refused. Manoah was allowed to offer a sacrifice to God, and when he did it the angel ascended to heaven.
Then, after all this, Manoah mourned that having seen the angel he and his wife were both going to die. This doesn't make any sense at all; there is no indication in the Bible, known to me, that this should be true. Anyway, the angel had just been telling them that they would have a son. How could God's promise be fulfilled if they were both dead?
Manoah's wife showed patience and good sense, it was unfortunate for her she was married to such a faithless and dim-witted individual.
But maybe we can all be like Manoah. Horrors. When I am not spending time with God every day, meaningful time. When I am not really wasting time with God, I am out of step with His purposes and miss His opportunities. Manoah missed every beat in this story because he was not connected with God. If I want my story to be any better I need to have a real connection with God today.
The theme of this passage seems to be how bad Manoah is.
Manoah's wife tells him what the angel told her, and Manoah's reaction is to ask God to send the "man" to talk to him instead. Manoah has some sort of pretext for why he wants to see the "man", but when the angel comes he answers Manoah's question by repeating his instruction given to the woman.
Next he tries to invite the angel to dinner, still thinking it is a man. In the case of Abraham this seems to have been commendable, in the case of Manoah, the angel refused. Manoah was allowed to offer a sacrifice to God, and when he did it the angel ascended to heaven.
Then, after all this, Manoah mourned that having seen the angel he and his wife were both going to die. This doesn't make any sense at all; there is no indication in the Bible, known to me, that this should be true. Anyway, the angel had just been telling them that they would have a son. How could God's promise be fulfilled if they were both dead?
Manoah's wife showed patience and good sense, it was unfortunate for her she was married to such a faithless and dim-witted individual.
But maybe we can all be like Manoah. Horrors. When I am not spending time with God every day, meaningful time. When I am not really wasting time with God, I am out of step with His purposes and miss His opportunities. Manoah missed every beat in this story because he was not connected with God. If I want my story to be any better I need to have a real connection with God today.
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