"Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in the thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, 'This far you may come and no further,' here is where your proud waves halt?" (Job 38:11)
After 37 chapters of argumentative dribble, God had had enough. Job's friends ended their argument with him. Job ended his rebuttals with them and his quest to justify himself. Isn't it like God to have the last word on the subject.
"Brace yourself like a man; I will question you (you've been questioning me and my motives) and you shall answer me."
The Q and A begins with "where were you when I did this...and this...and this..." The Apostle Paul used this argument to justify the judgment of the ungodly, unbelieving person pointing out the testimony of creation before him. "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen being understood by what has been made, so that men are without excuse." But I digress. Job was not questioning the existence of God. He was challenging His sovereignty. God can and does what His perfect will has determined. He says to the waves, "This far and no further." He sets limits to what his creation can do - constructive and destructive.
When I lived and pastored in Alpena, Michigan, there was a very long man-made break wall that often kept the crashing waves of Lake Huron from overtaking and damaging resting boats. But there were times when the lake became so tumultuous that the waves came over the break wall - when resting boats became large thrown-about toys in an enclosed pond. Its why larger boats will often anchor out a few miles into the lake itself so that they will not suffer the wind and wave damage of being so close to the dock and other boats. Man can only do so much. He is no match for the creative forces of an almighty God. We often wondered how far the water would come ashore. "This far and no further."
I have been questioning God lately. Writing my own Job-like chapters. Why this? Why that? And in God's mercy He answered me with this text. I needed a reminder of the sovereignty of God. It is the only thing that quiets my fear and subdues my anger. "This far and no further." When will the virus die out? When will the ethnic rioting stop? When will the erasing of history, no matter how offensive it is to others, be seen for what it is? When will lawlessness and deeds done in the darkness be brought into the light? When will righteousness prevail? In the word's of the Psalmist, "How long, O Lord?" When will this be over?
"This far and no further," says the Lord.
Aren't you glad He has the last word?
I received a book from a dear brother in Christ called, Reforesting Faith by Matthew Sleeth, M.D. I often receive books from others who are passionate about a particular subject, but, unfortunately, will sit on my shelf forever because they are of no interest at all to me.
I wasn't sure about this one. Was it going to be like reading through biblical genealogies without dozing off, except this was going to be stumbling through genus and species? Gladly, it was not. It actually was a very engaging book that connected almost every major biblical event with some sort of tree. From the Tree of Life in Genesis to the Tree of Life in Revelation, a tree of some form was rooting or grounding the story. Tamarisk, oak, fig, olive, palm - find a tree, find a relevant biblical story.
A dense grouping of trees or bushes is known as a "thicket." If you are a hunter or a farmer you are well aware of the term. It is usually where your prey was lost or where you found the calf that strayed. A thicket will freely contribute scratches to the skin, torn clothing, and an occasional poke to the eye. It is a difficult place - a difficult place to see, a difficult place to walk, a difficult place to escape if a predator enters (like a wild boar, a coyote, or a bunny rabbit).
I came across a passage in the Book of Jeremiah this week that struck me as a bit odd and yet relevant to the situation we have found ourselves in with this virus, the riots, and with lawlessness that seems to be pervasive - a passage connected to trees (a thicket).
"If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?" (Jer. 12:5b).
Note: The word "thicket" can also be translated "pride" as in a pride of lions, or "height" as in the rising floodwaters. In Hebrew it is simply a place where one feels fear or danger.
Paraphrase: If you feel unstable now, what are you going to do when real chaos happens?
Yes, things have been in the category of inconvenient of late. We have been sequestered in some form for over 90 days. We have experienced some form of fear or a level of impatience or anger, perhaps even rage at the thing or the person causing momentary afflictions. We have experienced limitations on social connections, work, groceries, travel, etc... And to be honest I don't know if this will ever end. There doesn't seem to be a "clear" after the "green" or even a light green or a blue or a nice beige. I would settle for an eggshell off-white at this point but no word from Harrisburg at present. TBD (to be determined) or TBP (to be prolonged).
We apparently are waiting for a vaccine that will take six months or a year or eighteen months to get here. A vaccine that a great many of us will not choose to get anyway - just like the average flu vaccine. Perhaps we won't have a choice - hmmmm, think things are rough on our civil liberties now wait until they start forcing more things on us in the name of "public safety." Hey, I'm all in favor of "click it or ticket" but when you start shooting me up for a virus that in all likelihood will do nothing but make me miserable for a few days - no thanks. Let me be part of the herd.
We must put things in perspective. We must. Because we still, for the most part, live in a safe country/county.
I am afraid we have found ourselves in a thicket facing a ferocious bunny but the lion lies in wait.
Remember - "The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand."
Rejoicing - Dad's stay strong and healthy for your family - Happy Father's Day on Sunday.
Maranatha!
I recently officiated a funeral for a 100 year old woman. You may be thinking, "Okay. She died of old age. Not sure where you are going with this Pastor Dan." Well, she didn't die of old age. Some would say that she died because of governmental negligence. Some would say that she died because a select few determined what was essential and what was not or rather, who was essential and who was not. I know full well that there will be those who will argue the contrary in the name of public safety but safety for whom? That will be my point and my pondering.
I want to first acknowledge that God has placed over us governing authorities, per Romans 13, and that sometimes knowing what it is "right" is a hard thing to do. I will extend a measure of grace to anyone in a leadership position. It often ends up being a question of, "Right for whom?" In any game of "situational ethics" someone always wins and someone always loses. It always...always involves a choice.
Second, I do not in anyway want to diminish our healthcare workers, our truck drivers, manufacturers, police, fire, ambulance drivers, grocery store employees, or anyone who made our lives bearable and sustainable during this pandemic. You didn't create the term "essential." You were just doing your jobs and doing them under incredible circumstances. You were given a label - one that inadvertently diminished the rest of contributing society.
It reminds me of the classic situational ethic debate of having a group of people on an adrift boat with only so much food for survival. Each person was listed by their social contribution in life and you had to prioritize who you would throw over board for the survival of the rest. In other words, who was "essential" for survival and who was not. They were all pagans so the preacher was tossed first. They didn't realize that he was also a master fisherman with just a piece of dental floss and a piece of chewing gum. Their loss.
Third, I know that I haven't had a hair cut in almost three months. While I looked fabulous with a slight mullet in the 1970's, it does not look as good today in keeping with the fifty pounds of pure muscle that I put on since I graduated. So I'm a bit peeved at a governor who doesn't think that a hair salon can be as safe as Walmart or Home Depot (if not safer). And I am a bit frustrated that the spiritual care of people is not viewed as "essential" (but that is for another ranting). I'm just thankful we can reopen church this Sunday.
Now to the point. Imagine a 100 year-old woman in good health who every morning gets herself around without assistance at an assisted living center, walks down the hallway unassisted, down two flights of stairs, to have meals with her friends. Every night as she lays her head down she gives thanks for simple blessings and arises to look forward to life with friends and family and food. Then this virus hits. Now she is confined to her room. No friends. No family. The enjoyment of a community meal no longer available. She gets weak. She falls. She fails. She dies. Alone.
My question for all of us today is this, "Who is truly essential?"
As a relative said, "The virus didn't kill her but it was what caused her death."
God is the ultimate giver and taker of life so I'm not going to figure out where to lay blame. Sometimes things just happen. I was, however, reminded that the things that are essential, outside of my love for God, are family, friends, and having them gathered around some good food. We don't realize how much they sustain our lives and give us life. May we all be reminded and take advantage of those things when we are able and give thanks to a God who so graciously provides them.
Oh...and our hair stylists.
Maranatha!
As a kid, I loved any type of book that connected to the mysterious or unexplainable. My grandmother used to give me a quarter to run down to the old country IGA store (Independent Grocers Alliance for those of you not aware) and get some candy or ice cream. I usually ended up getting a "Ripley's Believe It or Not" comic book. I wish I still had those. I wish my grandma was still here. I wish a quarter could still buy something. I can at least rent a grocery cart at Aldi.
Many of those old comics dealt with things like Big Foot, the Lochness Monster, or ghosts, especially ghosts associated with the sea. God's honest truth...there was a ghost that haunted the lighthouse in Presque Isle, Michigan. She could be seen walking the grounds and down by the shores of Lake Huron or up in the glassed area where the search light was. Shivers my timbers. It was, of course, a demonic manifestation.
I could deal with things on the land but in the water...I still have nightmares of seeing "Jaws" in 1975. I won't take a bath without a harpoon nearby. Why would you swim out in the ocean at night when there is a perfectly good, lighted, and overly chlorinated pool so close by? Everyone knows that sharks feed at night, close to shore, especially on full moons, and next to buoys that have bells. If you can't see what's in it, don't go in it. It's how I had my first experience with leeches in a very brown colored ditch, but that's a farm story for another time. Lesson learned.
In ancient times there was a worldview that demons inhabited the water. It was the place where evil originated in some form of underworld, watery Abyss. It was know as "Chaos." A strong word meaning, "out of one's control." One might recall the 17th century connection to Davy Jones' Locker. Also called "the place of the Devil, the spirit of the sea."
The Bible talks a lot about chaos. In fact, its mostly about chaos - a material world in chaos, relationships in chaos, internal chaos.
Revelation speaks about the Antichrist coming up out of the metaphorical sea (Chapter 13.1). Once again, it was a place of chaos, a place of fear, a place of the unknown, a place where one cannot see what is beneath, a place where a person feel helpless.
Chaos. It feels like we are in a never-ending cycle of this lately, doesn't it? This week our attention was focused on yet another disease - social chaos. The media calls it "race" but I have news for the them - there is only one "race" - the human race. It is more accurately called, "Ethnic Prejudice." Which in the end, is the solution to this whole problem. Black, white, brown, yellow, red, and purple...they are just differing amounts of melanin. People are reacting to real and perceived ethnic maltreatment or social/cultural misunderstanding. They protest. Others, wicked and evil in intent, riot, destroy, loot. Chaos.
And then there was the straight line wind and rain storm that hit today (Wednesday). It tore hundred year old trees from their earthly foundations, landing on driveways and homes of friends and neighbors. And if that wasn't bad enough, my recycling container is probably somewhere in New Jersey. Will it ever end?
Chaos. Another reason to stay home. Another reason to fear. Another reason to feel hopeless. Or...another reason to trust the One who can create something wonderful out of the dark, mysterious waters. Another reason to trust the One who can still the storms. Another reason to trust the One who will ultimately remove the sea and replace it with a firm foundation. Another reason to have hope in the coming Savior. Maranatha!
Believe it or Not.
Years ago I was pastoring a church in Alpena, Michigan, and a friend asked if I wanted to go to lunch at a Chinese place north of town. "Sure. I love Chinese food."
We arrived and went straight to the glutton table (no, not gluten...well...okay, there was plenty of that as well). General Cho's Chicken, a little Mongolian Beef with carrots and broccoli (one must eat your veggies), Crab Rangoon, and some stuff that looked like chicken in light brown sauce. "What is this? It looks like curried chicken." I checked the label. Nope. Some other type of chicken. Not sure if I want to try this. It might be a bit spicy for my palate.
Chided by my friend for not being adventurous, I took a spoon full. We prayed and asked God to bless our sinful indulgence and then dug in to what ended up being an unrecognizable pile of flavor. I'll start with the mystery meat first.
Oh, my God in heaven! How do you say "milk" in Chinese or "extra water" or "paramedics"? I was instantly reminded of the accounts of a Middle Age torture - you know the one where they poured hot molten lead down the person's throat. I now know what lava tastes like. My words began to slur as my tongue swelled and my taste buds were scorched by the heat of the sun. Tears flowed. "O Death where is Thy sting?" It's right here! In my mouth! Maranatha! Maranatha!
The waitress came around. "Evry ting okay?" "Oh, yeth. Tank you. Evyting is wonerful," I said. My friend waited until she left to burst into uncontrollable laughter. I said, "You try that stuff." He said, "Well, I love spicy food." A big spoonful entered his lying mouth. Tears flowed. My meal just became more enjoyable. "Oh, my God in heaven! Is this chicken with acid sauce?" Yes. Yes, it is. Tongues of fire, my brother, tongues of fire. We had just experienced Pentecost.
Pentecost. The Feast of Weeks. The Counting of the Omer. The end of the harvest and a time of thanksgiving. The giving of the Torah to the people of God. A turning from the old to what is new and true. The giving of the Holy Spirit - the indwelling of God to everyone who believes and receives Jesus as Lord and Savior.
How can you not pause and celebrate this event which starts on Thursday evening, May 28th? The Christian Church (Western) will celebrate it formally on May 31st. It is 50 days after Pesach or Easter.
Fifty. For me - I am choosing to receive a new beginning, a new change, a Jubilee of spirit where I am set free to be more like Jesus and to do more for his kingdom. Wouldn't it be awesome if He came for his Church then?
I may have to get some food "to-go." Chinese, anyone?
Darkness. Height. Depth. Foreign. Uncertainty. Certainty. Death. I'm looking for words that deter or change one's behavior using fear as a motive. I was going to put "Wet Paint" but we all know how that usually ends (wipes, please).
A statement came to mind that I know was used a lot on me as a child - sometimes working, sometimes not. "If you [fill in the blank] you're going to [fill in the blank]."
Let me give you some examples. "If you climb that tree, you're going fall and break your neck." Could have happened. Didn't. It just knocked the wind out of me. "If you eat that, you're going to get sick and die." Could have happened. Didn't. Worms are protein and are a third-world delicacy. "If you go down there, you're going to get eaten by rats or snakes or some wild animal." Could have happened. Didn't. It was a cellar in an old abandoned farm house. My mom should have worried that I would be buried alive when the house fell on top of me. Could have happened. Didn't. Thank God farm kids get tetanus shots. Kept the stuff I found down there in an old Dutch Masters cigar box for many years. "If you go too fast on your three-wheeler, you're going to fall off and get hurt." Could have happened. Didn't. Well...I was going fast when I went through the board fence and about decapitated myself, but I didn't fall off. Even as an adult - "If you go to Syria, you're going to get kidnapped or killed." Could have happened. Didn't. Best trip ever. Changed my life.
My life was and is full of opportunities for fear to deter me from doing things. Fear is a good thing. I have yet to grab a downed power line or go 120 miles an hour down the freeway. But then there was that time when I was going across South Dakota. Okay scratch that last one. Fear can also be the beginning of life paralysis - a Howard Hughes existence.
All of those things mentioned were foreseen potential dangers but life is by its very nature a series of foreseen and unforeseen dangers. Every moment is a potential something. I choose to be afraid or not to be afraid. The potential something did not change. My thinking about it did.
I choose not to fear this virus. I'm still going to wash my hands and try not to get within spitting distance of someone. But I'm willing to hold my breath for a hug or to hold a dying saint's hand to comfort her.
The following verses have put things in perspective for me.
Proverbs 9:10, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
Proverbs 10:27, "The fear of the Lord adds length to life."
Proverbs 14:27, "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death."
Proverbs 15:16, "Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil."
Proverbs 19:23, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of life."
Proverbs 22:4, "Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life."
And one more to tie it up from Isaiah 33:6, "He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure."
I choose to fear - the Lord. And trust him with trees and worms and dark cellars and three-wheelers and foreign countries and foreign viruses. But don't play with forks...or you'll poke your eye out.
"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine and asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way." (Dan. 1:8)
I am getting barraged with questions about when the church will be opened up again and hearing both sides of the argument about government overreach. I have seen a number of Christians turn to Acts 4 and 5 where the mantra "obey God rather than men" is used in support of reopening or just getting back to life.
Neither of those passages can be used to support the times that we are living in at present. Acts chapters 4 and 5 are speaking to a religious/civil authority telling the disciples that they cannot speak or teach in the Name of Jesus again - essentially trying to stomp out Christianity before it ran rampant. That is far from the case in our situation. I prefer to go to the example that Daniel gives to us: Resolved and Respectful.
Daniel was asked to do something that violated his moral conscience (eating and drinking forbidden food and drink, or food and drink that he had made a vow to abstain from). He resolved, he decided before hand, that he would not compromise when it came to his spiritual purity before God. How did he proceed in this foreign culture with differing expectations? He respectfully negotiated.
The official over Daniel was concerned for his own safety and well-being. He didn't want those in his care to look weak and sickly and suffer the consequences of that personally. Fear was driving the decision. Daniel respectfully offered a test. Give us vegetables and water for ten days. If we aren't meeting your standard, well...we'll do it your way. The outcome was in Daniel's favor as he was favored by God.
There is so much information, disinformation, changing information, and down right deception coming from government officials and the science community, that a person doesn't know really what to do or believe. God has put governing authorities over us and we need to respect that authority but we can also respectfully disagree and offer other solutions that will keep people alive and their livelihood in tact at the same time.
There seems to be a number of inconsistencies about why some businesses get to open and others must stay closed at the risk of penalty if opened. What is essential and what is not. Common sense does not seem to be so common, especially when, in reality, we are dealing with two percent of the population dying. More people die of the regular flue, cancer, complications of diabetes, car crashes, etc...but this fact seems to be sidestepped in favor of panic and fear. I get a sense that there is some backside covering in this whole thing but I'm just an ignorant former farm boy.
So what do we do? Be resolved to do what we can, within reason, to be above reproach in our reputations and in our desire to be what God has called us out to be. Be respectful when we disagree. God has brought us to this place for a divine reason. We haven't been forbidden to worship or name the Name of Jesus. In fact, the pandemic has caused a spiritual awakening via the internet. We have far more people visiting our site than we ever had before and that is likely to continue even after we are released for the month of July only to probably be sequestered again from August to next June (kidding...maybe).
So we have to worship differently for a few months...we'll get through. And if this continues we'll find ways of gathering together in the parking lot or in the church sanctuary with six services of twenty-five people and a service at night and on Wednesday. We will figure it out. It's what humans do. It's what followers of Jesus do.
However...if the king says you can't pray to anyone except the king...fling the window open, look to Jerusalem, pray your heart out, and know that the critics and the lions are waiting in the wings. Resolved and Respectfully yours.
129 days to home
"Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in the thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, 'This far you may come and no further,' here is where your proud waves halt?" (Job 38:11)
