Were you ever in the Military?

Matthew 3:1-2

“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:1-2 ESV)

I often wonder would anyone in our day go out to see or hear a John the Baptist if he was in a remote area, not accessible and his message was; “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  My first thought was that the message does not play well in a world that teaches (your Ok and I’m Ok philosophy) a culture of no fault, no evil, and no responsibility for the choices one makes in life.  My second thought is who needs repentance in a culture that has a mentality to blame everyone else.  Third, when a culture ignores good and evil, right and wrong, how would they come to a place of needing to repent?  And forth, it would be inconvenient and maybe embarrassing to leave the comfort of all our ipads an iphones to go into a wilderness area where we might not get a connection.

Folks, that is the culture we live in and the only hope is that you and I, who claim to be followers of Christ, come to the place of being willing to be made willing.  To our understanding we’ve entered the army of Christ and we did not come in as advisers but as privates.  Were you ever in the military?  I was, and as a civilian I entered into a wilderness called the United States Army.  I hope you will see the contrast to the new life in Christ and my boot camp in the U.S. Army.

When I enlisted in the United States Army, I went to boot camp, my civvies were taken from me, and I was issued a new set of clothes.  I was introduced to a man we called Sergeant Major he told me the old Bob was dead. The old Bob could wear what he wanted, eat what he wanted, and go and do what he wanted, all of that was history.  I would look to the United State Army and its rules and commands and I no longer needed my opinions; all I needed was to obey his orders.

How does the United States Army and the Christian Army differ, and how similar are they?  First, let me share what I experienced in the United States Army.  We were given an order many of us had not understood; it was not a request-it was a command.  For a short period of time I acted like the old Bob (the civilian), only to experience this important truth-the old Bob was not welcome, and he had been replaced.  You may ask, “How did the Sergeant Major convey the message so that I understood, that I had to obey commands?”  Simple, we were told to go back into our barracks and pick up our M-1 rifle and our 30-pound packs.  The Sergeant Major referred to that as full gear.  Then we were told to return to the parade area.   Sergeant Major knew something, which we Christians must learn; if we were going to be Warriors, it required obedience. 

Sergeant Major asked us to put on our gear, pick up our weapon (M-1 rifle) and join him in a six-mile run with our weapon held at arms length above our head.  You did not make it six miles.  In fact, you learned a spiritual truth; you learned to ask for mercy and forgiveness and there in was a big problem, the Sergeant Major was not into mercy.  When that happened day after day, you finally began to enjoy dying to the old Bob, and discovered a new desire to be a soldier in the United States Army.  At the end of six weeks of boot training, you understood your new identity; you are a soldier in Uncle Sam’s Army.

Now, what about those earlier questions about the Christian Army?  In your mind do you see yourself as a warrior of Jesus Christ?  Are you in the front lines of the battle?  Have you joined the battle?  Are you engaged?  In the book Wild at Heart, John Eldredge put his finger on the problem of this Christian army, and I quote; “to beat the enemy called the flesh, you must embrace the promise of the New Covenant - that God has given you a new heart.”

What is this new heart?  Look at Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  Have you been drafted into the army of Jesus Christ?  Are you still trying to wear your old civvies?  If so, please look, pray, and listen to Colossians 2:20; “Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”  Paul goes on to tell us that all these rules made by man are destined to perish, because they are based on human commands and teaching.  “This represents, the member of the Christian army wearing his old “civvies” and living by the world’s belief system-refusing to be empowered by his new commander-in chief to live by His new commands.” (Quote from Dr. Forrest Lowry) 

As you read Matthew’s account in Chapter 3, pay attention to who was coming for repentance, it was the leaders of the religious culture, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees, found in verse 7, and how did John refer to them?  It was not with the title these men were accustom to, he referred to them as how God saw them, and you may ask, how did God see these leaders; “You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Do you have Dreams?

Matthew 2:19-23

Do you have dreams?  Not desires, not plans, no we are talking about dreams, and they are best referred to as a sequence of mental images during sleep.  Now let me make it clear, I am not making reference to your thoughts, your aspirations, or even your fantasies, but to dreams that come to you while sleeping.  In that this writer is only a student of the Scripture and not a Seminarian, it requires that I ask the Holy Spirit to open my eyes to truths that are not clear to me.  Is a dream and a vision the same thing?  I went to Genesis 15:1, “After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”  Abram and God had intercourse, do you understand that in the vision Abram seemed to be fully alert and they had an exchange of thoughts, does that happen in dreams?   We also have the account of Joseph’s dream where the angels of the Lord came to him in a dream, and told him to marry Mary, because the baby she carried was not from man but placed in her from the Holy Spirit.  It was not an exchange, it was seen in a dream and Joseph did as the angel instructed, and the account is in Matthew 1:20-21.

I do understand that two verses do not make a doctrine, but it is clear that God spoke to Joseph in dreams using angels as His messengers and He also spoke to the wise men in the same way, Matthew 2:12.  The wise men have left for home and on their departure and angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, and this is recorded in Matthew 2:13b, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 

Now we have the death of Herod, and once more the angel of the Lord comes to Joseph in a dream with this message; “saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.” (Matthew 2:20-21 ESV)

It is of some interest that God spoke to Moses in the form of a burning bush that was not consumed and used almost the same words as we find in Matthew 2:20.  “And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” (Exodus 4:19 ESV)

It should be apparent that when God speaks, no matter in what manner, He is looking for one thing, obedience!  It also should be clear that the writers of Scripture have made it clear by the many times it was stated; “The angel of the Lord” was addressing Joseph, should that be a warning that maybe other angels will come to us in dreams or even visions pretending to be spokesmen of our Lord?  Scripture has given us insight into such;  “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15 ESV)

It is very clear that the Scriptures are the recorded word of God, and we should ponder upon the words of Hebrews 1:1-4, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

(Hebrews 1:1-4 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

He won't Fit

Matthew 2:9-18

How often we ask but why did God not do something, as if we understood the mind of God.  The older I get the more clear it becomes we “time critters” are often, almost always, looking at things inside time.  We forget that our Father in Heaven created time for earth, it will not be of any value once you are removed from earth’s control.  God has been to the beginning and end of time, He is Omnipotent, (All-powerful, Supremacy, the Authority.)  He is Omnipresent, (always present everywhere, time has no control over Him.)  He is Omniscient, (all knowledge, has never had to be taught anything, and is aware of every detail of your life.)

Therefore, let’s look at the account of what is going on with our Lord, while in the form of a baby.  Verse 9-12, “After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:9-12)  Did you see they went into the house, Jesus is no longer in a manger, and it seems from the time the wise men got to Jerusalem till they found the child, the child is no longer in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger; this is the account from HCSB (Study Bible) “In contrast to the stable in which Jesus was born (Luke 2), Jesus’ family now lived in a house.  This shows that the magi visited Jesus after the visit of the shepherds.”   

You may ask why is it of importance, and the answer is found in verses 13-15, “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2:13-15 ESV)  Two things that jump off the page are; Joseph is obedient, he does what God has told him without questioning the dream.  And the other thing is God had already spoken to the prophet Hosea about Jesus coming out of Egypt, in Hosea 11:1, almost 785 years before the birth of Jesus.

It is also important to see what a fool will do when he has been tricked; “Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

            “A voice was heard in Ramah,

            weeping and loud lamentation,

            Rachel weeping for her children;

            she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”(Matthew 2:16-18)

Jeremiah gives this account in the book with his name as the title, in chapter 31:15, and this was more than 580 years before Jesus was born.  What should we learn from this?  Our God is always faithful, and we often try to place Him in our time box, and He won’t fit. 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Defining a Wise Person & a Fool

Matthew 2:3-12

Yesterday, we explored wise men and came to the conclusion that from the beginning, wise men have sought the Lord.  But we understand from Scripture that “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”  Not long ago, would any one have given thought to defining wise men and fools, for there is such a wide gulf between the two.  But in this time many who are fools see themselves as wise.  This is a definition; A fool: a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person: what a fool I was to do this. I hope you enjoy these quotes: Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain – and most fools do.  (Benjamin Franklin)  A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.  (William Shakespeare)  What about the word wise, as it relates to mankind: (responding sensibly or shrewdly to a particular situation).  A Charles Spurgeon quote on being wise:  Wisdom is the right use of knowledge.  To know is not to be wise.  Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fool for it.  There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool.  But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.  Plato had this to say about wise men; “Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.”

With that as back drop let us look into Matthew 2:3-8, “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

            “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

            are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

            for from you shall come a ruler

            who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” (Matthew 2:3-8 ESV)

The wise men announced a king had been born to the Jews, but both king Herod and his subjects were troubled at the news of a king being born.  We can understand why Herod would want to pass on the kingship to his sons, but it is not clear why the people would care.  Was it because Herod was such a kind and gentle king, always putting the interest of his subjects first?  He was anything but kind and gentle, in fact, he killed his favorite wife and son in order to protect his rule.  It may be the people were fearful of what this paranoid king would do, and it did not take long before they found out.  The first thing he did was lie to the wise men on why he wanted to know, then he called the scribes to find out where the Scriptures said the Messiah would be born.  They told him in Bethlehem, and the king waited for the wise men to give him the location of the Messiah, but not for worship but to kill the Son of God.  We know from Scripture that an angel told them to go home without telling Herod, and once Herod discovered that they were not returning, he had all the babies two and under killed.

So what kind of man was Herod, a fool, for only a fool would believe that they could kill the Son of God?  And as we look at the people who believe they are in charge today, are they much different than king Herod, for he also believed that he was in charge.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Wise Men Still Seek Him

Matthew 2:1-7

In the first two verses of chapter two, much has been written about these men; the Scriptures refer to as wise men.  “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)  It would not surprise me if you have heard more than once around Christmas time the sermon titled, “Wise Men Still Seek Him.” 

Do we have examples of men seeking Christ, and the answer is yes, we have in Mark’s gospel, the account of Jesus preaching in Galilee; “And rising very early in the morning while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.” (Mark 1:35-39 ESV)

Do you recall the account of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector climbing a sycamore tree so that he could see Jesus, and do you recall that Jesus went home with Zacchaeus to have dinner?  Do you recall that the religious guys were more than a little upset that Jesus would hang-out with a sinner, and do you remember what Zacchaeus said to Jesus; “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor.  And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”  And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

And what about the day Jesus feed the five thousand and Jesus perceiving they were about to take Him by force to make Him king, Jesus withdrew to the mountains by Himself.  You will find this account in John’s gospel chapter 6, but look at verse 24, “So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.” (John 6:24 ESV)  From the beginning of time men have been seeking someone worthy of worship, and often their motives have been wrong, such were these people who sought Jesus in John’s account.  These are the words of both the crowd and Jesus’ reply to them: “When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:25-29 ESV)

If you keep reading in John 6, it is clear that many did not do what Zacchaeus did by saying he wanted Jesus more than anything this world offers.  Ask this question of yourself, why am I seeking Jesus?  The answer for some may expose wrong motives, to go to heaven is a good answer, but if you only want heaven and do not allow Jesus to be your life, your authority, the way out of darkness into a life of dependence on Him.  Are you much different than the crowd in John chapter 6?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The steps in a Jewish Marriage

Matthew 1:18-24

 It was not that long ago, Jan and I attended a wedding and it was obvious the bride was in a motherly condition, and it seemed only weeks later we got a baby shower announcement.  I’m a little old fashion, and yet I do glance at the magazines at the checkout counter in the local food store, and it seems pregnant brides are in vogue for the Hollywood crowd.  I was wondering if most people who read Matthew 1:18-24, understand what Mary and Joseph did to prepare for marriage?

“The first major step in a Jewish marriage was betrothal.  Betrothal involved the establishment of a marriage covenant. By Jesus' time it was usual for such a covenant to be established as the result of the prospective bridegroom taking the initiative.  The prospective bridegroom would travel from his father's house to the home of the prospective bride. There he would negotiate with the father of the young woman to determine the price (mohar) that he must pay to purchase his bride.  Once the bridegroom paid the purchase price, the marriage covenant was thereby established, and the young man and woman were regarded to be husband and wife.  From that moment on the bride was declared to be consecrated or sanctified, set apart exclusively for her bridegroom.  As a symbol of the covenant relationship that had been established, the groom and bride would drink from a cup of wine over which a betrothal benediction had been pronounced.
After the marriage covenant had been established, the groom would leave the home of the bride and return to his father's house. There he would remain separate from his bride for a period of twelve months.  This period of separation afforded the bride time to gather her trousseau and to prepare for married life.  The groom occupied himself with the preparation of living accommodations in his father's house to which he could bring his bride.  At the end of the period of separation the groom would come to take his bride to live with him. The taking of the bride usually took place at night. The groom, best man and other male escorts would leave the groom's father's house and conduct a torch light procession to the home of the bride.  Although the bride was expecting her groom to come for her, she did not know the exact time of his coming.  As a result the groom's arrival would be preceded by a shout.  This shout would forewarn the bride to be prepared for the coming of the groom.”  (JEWISH MARRIAGE CUSTOMS)  Behold, The Bridegroom Comes! Dr. Renald Showers, Chairman of the Pastoral Studies Dept. Philadelphia College of Bible)
That is very close to what happen to Joseph before the twelve months timeline, and then it became apparent that Mary was with child and Joseph had choices.  One was to declare her an adulterer and have her put to death by stoning, and the other was to divorce her quietly.  It is reported that he chose the second until an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is form the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:  “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.” (which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:20-23)  Now, I’m not sure what you think about the man Joseph, but he was special, a very special man among men.  This was his actions on awaking from the dream: “When Joseph wake from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son.  And he called his name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:24)
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice

An Authentic Source

Matthew 1:1-17

Today there is much interest in genealogy and people will spend both income and time to trace the family tree.  But is that something new?  The answer is no, from the beginning mankind has placed great value on their family background.  Now sometimes you uncover material about the family that you would just as well keep a secret; like maybe Hitler was your great uncle.  As we begin to look at Jesus’ genealogy in the gospel of Matthew, the very first verse tells His genealogy is not like anyone else’s.   “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.  (Matthew 1:1 ESV)

As in any genealogy you want the very best, most authentic source of information; so lets look at the promise to David from God using the mouth of Nathan the prophet; “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” (2 Samuel 7:16 ESV)  David had desired to build a house for God, and God told him he was not the man, but his son would be allowed to build a place where the people would come to worship their God.  But the promise to David was of greater importance, “his kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”  Another source is the Psalms and we find this promise in Psalm 89:3-4, "I have made a covenant with my chosen; I have sworn unto David my servant. Thy seed will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations.”  We have the faithfulness of God and the promise of establishing David’s kingdom forever. 

It is 975 years later, and God is always faithful in keeping His promises, the angel of the Lord appeared to a group of shepherds and proclaimed the coming of the Son of God, the son of David, in the city of David.  “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12 ESV)  We have the apostle Peter making reference to the promise in Psalm in his sermon at Pentecost: “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. (Acts 2:29-32 ESV)

This note is a great way to end this paper it is from the HCSB Study Bible: “Though the genealogy is otherwise arranged in chronological order, Matthew shifted “Son of Abraham to lay emphasis on the royal title.  The “Son of Abraham” implies that just as Abraham was the father of national Israel, Jesus will be the founder of a new spiritual Israel.”  (Page 1608 note 1:1)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Attic – My hidden life

The Attic – My hidden life

Have you given much thought to what is in your attic, yes, that area immediately under the roof of your house?  Our home has two attics, one is in the garage and the other is in the house, but both have one thing in common, they are the places for stuff that was too good, or at the time, six plus years ago when we moved into the house, we thought was too good to give away.  The attics of our house have become the place to deposit more stuff we did not have room for, or did not want others to see and they became cluttered, disorderly, and a real mess. 

Often, I’ve gone into the attic looking for something I needed, but after looking for what seemed an eternity but was closer to a few minutes, I came down in defeat, promising myself I will do the hard work and organize my attics.  So after a short six years, I began the task, but it went from a simplistic project to an understanding of myself.   

My first encounter was the many boxes we had never opened in 6 plus years, and where to begin with so little space to even move a box; could I have been that cheap while building the house, I did not allow the builder to put down decking?  It became painfully apparent I needed to deck some of the attic in order have the ability to see what treasure was to be found in those many boxes.  

When you begin a do over, the past often becomes the new reality, and because the opening is much too small for bringing the 4 X 8 X ¾” plywood required to install decking.  At seventy years of age, it seemed those sheets of plywood had grown both in size and weight.  If you are still with me, let me report, after weeks of cutting and carrying plywood up the stairs, and doing some dumpster diving, (we have three houses being built in the area, and it is a cheap source of scraps) and scraps require cutting and some engineering but they helped me keep the project on time and under budget.  Now both attics are decked, to a large degree, and have some shelving so that items have a place to go and they are soon to be labeled so we no longer have clutter.

I had an epiphany after the garage was almost finished, I told my bride that the attic was a picture of much of my life; a total mess, cluttered with thoughts and stuff that was not being used, but was out of sight.  A guest or neighbor who came into the house would have a total wrong impression, for though the attic was in total disarray, the house was always clean and each thing in its proper place, but no one was allowed into the attic, for the attic exposed confusion.

I began to reflect on the attic of my mind, it has some boxes that need not to be opened; they just need to be discarded, but it has others I must open in order to deal with wonderful memories of treasures that God has put into my life on planet earth.  Those treasures have names, Bob Keese, who cut my hair for many years and invited me to a Bible study where God began to exposé my need to leave religion; my identity was being a Baptist; not a relationship with Jesus Christ.  In those boxes that needed opened was the many men who God used to teach me, and some of my bosses who showed me how much I walked by sight and not by faith.  But the box that I needed to open most is the one that shows the highways of my life, and the faithfulness of a Father who loves a rascal like me, a person who He saw before one day happened and still loves me beyond my understanding.

How is your attic, not the part you let others see, but the hidden attic of your soul, are there boxes that need to be opened, and others need to be pitched on the pile of “bought lessons”?  

We should remember that Jesus said; “ For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

Never forget God is watching

Nahum Chapter 3

Many rulers in the Old Testament times were evil and very cruel, but the Assyria kings took it to a new level.  The time of the prophet Nahum was from 675-610 B.C., but we need to look at the total time line of the Assyrian Empire, in 800 B.C.  This was not the best of times for the Assyria Empire, it was in decline and God sent Jonah to Nineveh to preach repentance.  It should be noted that God often used pagan armies to bring judgment on Israel as is seen by the fall of Samaria in 725-722, where 28,000 Israelites were led into exile. 

As we begin reading the first three verses of chapter 3, it may require understanding that it’s pay back, that the judgment is in accord with what they have done to others.  “Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder—no end to the prey!  The crack of the whip, and rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot!  Horsemen charging, flashing sword and glittering spear, hosts of slain, heaps of corpses, dead bodies without end—they stumble over the bodies!”  This is the account of when the Medes and Babylonians laid siege to Nineveh and after two months it fell.  The blood was the people of Nineveh, and the Babylonians stacked their corpses just as they had taken great pleasure in doing to the cities and Nations that they had conquered.  I took this note from HCSB Study Bible page 1542 note 3:19; “Assyrian rulers were infamous for their cruelty.  Ashur-nasirpal II {858-824 B.C.} flayed captive kings alive and papered city walls with their skin.  Impaling some on stakes, he gouged out their eyes and severed their hands, feet, and other body parts.  Nahum’s contemporary Ashurbanipal boasted of similar atrocities against the Egyptians.  He also tore out the tongues of rebels who were uttering blasphemies against his god.  He pulled a rope through an Arab king’s jaw and chained him like a watchdog at a city gate.” 

We often talk about a bad hair day or we wish that we could have a do over, but it matters not what your role is from king to peasant, you do not want to hear the words of verse five spoken about you.  “Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at your nakedness

and kingdoms at your shame.  I will throw filth at you and treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle.  And all who look at you will shrink from you and say, “Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?”  Where shall I seek comforters for you? (Nahum 3:5-7 ESV)   

Many of the rulers took off, those who gave orders to do cruel acts to those they captured escaped, this was what Nahum saw and reported; “Your princes are like grasshoppers,

your scribes like clouds of locusts settling on the fences in a day of cold—when the sun rises, they fly away; no one knows where they are. (Nahum 3:17 ESV)

When evil encompasses you, never forget God is watching, and He is on the side of those who evil is attacking, and judgment is coming for them.  Nineveh was burned to the ground and was never rebuilt.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is the USA repeating History?

Nahum 2:1-13

Give serious thought to how a mighty people, a people who for years have been the power of the world, can make battle against the unseen God.  Nahum seems to be mocking the Assyrians in verse one; “The scatterer has come up against you.  Man the ramparts; watch the road; dress for battle; collect all your strength.”  The God who is and yet is not seen, has used many adjectives such as scatterer, or when He was about to destroy Babylon we have this a term used in Jeremiah 51:1-2, “Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon, against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai, and I will send to Babylon winnowers, and they shall winnow her, and they shall empty her land, when they come against her from every side on the day of trouble.”  Note: This writer needed a little better understanding of the word winnower: “blow a current of air through (grain) in order to remove the chaff.”  You might ask who is, or what was the winnower that God used against Babylon, it was the Medes and Persians.

In verse two we are given insight into what God is about: “For the LORD is restoring the majesty of Jacob as the majesty of Israel, for plunderers have plundered them and ruined their branches.”  In verses 3-10, it is not clear if the Assyrian soldier is dressed in red or if this is referring to the outcome of the battle.  But in verses 8-10 it becomes clear that Nineveh is the one losing the battle, and what a great word picture is used: “Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away.  “Halt! Halt!” they cry, but none turns back.  Plunder the silver, plunder the gold!  There is no end of the treasure or of the wealth of all precious things.  Desolate! Desolation and ruin!  Hearts melt and knees tremble; anguish is in all loins; all faces grow pale!”

Once more Nahum mocks the Assyrian kings who often described themselves as lions, but now the God who is, and His name is Yahweh mocks, for it is now the king and his young lions that are being hunted and killed.  If you are one who put trust in government, you should listen to verse 13, “Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions.  I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard.”  It seems to this writer that a battle with Yahweh is a fools battle, and the cost will be greater than the short pleasure of your boast of being king of the world, as one Assyrian king proclaimed, and yet God has said, that king and his followers are for eternity living in darkness.

Is history repeating itself, is the United States repeating the foolishness of the Assyrians?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

           

Do you believe as did the King of Assyria?

Nahum 1:12-15

I showed up on planet earth in the middle of WWII and had no clue that the world was in a major war, but something took place at the defeat of the Japanese that is worthy of learning about.  On August 15, 1945, the people of Japan heard the voice of their god, Emperor Hirohito, in a radio broadcast to the Japanese people.  He was not totally honest with his people, he blamed the atom bomb and not that they were defeated, and must surrender.  The terms of surrender were that Hirohito was forced to disclaim his divine status. Japan lost more than a war—it lost a god. 

The kings of Assyria were very evil and also very powerful, and they believed they were beyond the reach of God or man; in fact, they put trust in themselves.  If you study WWII you will see the hand of God on the side of the USA and its allies, and yet for years it looked as if Japan might win, but Jonah the prophet had this to say; “Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God's mercies.”  It is important to remember this about prophecy: “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 
When you read these words, listen very carefully; “Thus says the LORD, “Though they are at full strength and many, they will be cut down and pass away.  Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more.” (Nahum 1:12 ESV)  Two messages, one of Nineveh’s destruction and the deliverance of Judah, they are interwoven in verses 11-15.  But listen to God’s edict in verse 14 on the Assyrian kings; “The LORD has given commandment about you: “No more shall your name be perpetuated; from the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the metal image. I will make your grave, for you are vile.”

I am so glad that we forced Emperor Hirohito to proclaim he was not god to his people, and I am also grateful that we did not act like the Assyrian kings, but we helped rebuild the nation of Japan.  But the question each of us must ask is; do we have misplaced affection, do we have our little house gods, like children, or possessions, maybe it is faith in your nation, your military, maybe the worst of all, in yourself.   If after some soul searching you find that you are guilty, do not be like the Assyrian kings, or the Japanese Emperor, and lose the mercies of God. 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A Day in the life of Jesus

A Day in the life of Jesus

Much of the time when reading Scripture it is the information within the story we miss.  I’ve found it helpful to use the God given gift of imagination to join the story, if we wish for the story to have greater penetration, ask the Spirit to open that wonderful gift from your childhood.

This is one day with Jesus in Capernaum on the Sabbath.  He goes to the synagogue and begins to teach, and those who were gathering for worship were amazed by Jesus’ teachings.  Why do you think they were?   He did not teach like a scribe, but like one with authority.

The next thing that happens is some guy yells out and stop the service, and we are told in Mark’s account the person had an unclean spirit, or was demon possessed or oppressed.  Now, I’ve got to ask this question; how many services have you been to where some person yelled out and stopped the teacher/ preacher?  If you encounter an unclean spirit would you know it?  God has given us an example: In Matthew 8:28, the demon possessed men ask the same question of Jesus as this man in our story. You do remember the evil spirits going into the herd of pigs?  They were demon possessed, and the next example is found also in Matthew 9:32-33, this man was demon-oppressed, and when the demons were cast out of him, he spoke.  Now the best of news is Jesus came to set us free from the control of demons, (John 10:10) and a great example is found in Luke’s gospel in chapter 8:2 about Mary Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and also other women who were with her.

Now getting back to our day with Jesus; when the guy with the unclean spirit yelled out; “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are-the Holy One of God.”  Jesus said, “Be silent and come out of him.”  Who is Jesus addressing?  And guess what, it obeys!

Now if you’re in the crowd you would have heard the people talking among themselves, saying, “What is this?  A new teaching with authority!  He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 

Often, we are left to wonder why, why did Jesus leave the synagogue at this time, but this we know Jesus leaves the synagogue very soon after this, and went to the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  Simon’s mother-in-law is ill with a fever and they told Jesus and He went and took her hand, lifts her up, and she began to serve them.

It has been a long day, but we discover at sundown the people began to bring everyone who was sick or oppressed by demons.  Do you recall the whole city was at Simons door, and this is Mark’s account: “And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.”  Turn in your Bibles to Mark 3:11-12, there seems to be a pattern taking place when unclean spirits encounter Christ.  Could it be said that they were a better witness than most Baptist, when encountering Jesus?  Now, we have seen part of one day in the life of Jesus, and it is the next morning it has been a late night, so Jesus tells the guys, let me sleep in, that is not what happened!  That is what I would have done, but not Jesus.

As we read Mark 35-39 we see that Jesus rises very early in the morning, while it is still dark, and he goes to a desolate place to pray.  Jesus, being God, understood all that the day would hold.  It was going to be a day of travel, and more preaching, and so they traveled into all of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.  When you have a very busy schedule how does your day begin?   Have you given thought as to why we forget to prepare in the same way, why do we allow the day to begin without the direction and fellowship with the Father?

When the disciples look for Jesus, He is not in the house, nor in the yard, or village, so they go looking for Him, have you wondered how they knew where to look?  It was a pattern of His life, to seek the Father?  Matthew reports shortly after feeding the five thousand Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and He dismissed the crowds and went to a quiet place to pray, you will find the account in Matthew 14:23.  Now turn to Dr. Luke’s account of the same pattern in Luke 5:16, after Jesus has cleansed a leper.

As we look into Matthew 24:40-45 in this day with Jesus, are you asking the Lord to open that gift of imagination as you read this story, can you grasp this cry for help from the man who is a leper?  He is on his knees, he is begging Jesus, and he is proclaiming “If you are willing, You can make me clean.”  Does that move you, it moved Jesus and He reached out His hand and touched him.  “I am willing,” He told him.  “Be made clean.”  And he was clean that very moment.  Jesus told him, who had been a leper but now was cleansed, to tell no one but go and show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses’ commanded as a testimony.  But that is not what he did, he told everyone he saw what Jesus had done for him, and it affected Jesus’ ministry.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is it still a "Do Not"?

A word to the wise is sufficient, that was the council of my dad, and yet often I proved that I was not wise and punishment was what I reaped.  As the chosen children of God followed Moses out of Egypt, God gave them a choice, “Blessing or Curses” and that is still the choice for each of us who are followers of Christ.  “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ESV) 

How far we have moved as a culture from the “Blessing and Curses” to an attitude of our culture, it is someone else’s fault?  We make sure that no child is a winner or looser, that all get the trophy and then we wonder why as adults they cannot handle life, for all of life is making lemonade out of the lemons that come into our lives.  But this does not seem to be a new problem, for Edom was not about how God had blessed them, but was angry that God was blessing Jacob, or Judah. 

And this was what that action reaped: “Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. (Obadiah 1:10 ESV)  You and I should be very careful for I’m fearful that we often do not see our actions as God sees them.  This was what the people of Edom did: “    On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.  But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress.  Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity.  Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress. (Obadiah 1:11-14 ESV)

God has given a word to the wise and because God has not changed, we should take these instructions to heart, if it was a “Do Not” then, is it not still a “Do Not”?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice