Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Corinthians 3:16 (New Living Translation)

16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

The verses before this describe the lack of mental understanding and the lack of emotional feeling of God’s people as a veil. There was a veil that covered their minds and covered their hearts when the words of God were read.

It just didn’t sink in.

Ever had a bad headache? I mean a really bad headache—one that makes you just want to lie down, close your eyes, and cover your face with a pillow to block the light even on a dark night. Nothing anyone says or does means anything to you because your head hurts, and you can’t take in anything from anyone.

It seems that was like the veil described here. God’s people just didn’t absorb anything from God. They couldn’t as they had one of those debilitating headaches or something like it.

Then a person turns to God—actually looks to God and says, “Please Lord, I am listening now. Please teach me. Please bless me. Please.”

God removes the veil, the headache, the pain, the crushed spirit, the life buried in worry, the life covered with shame. There is a clear light. The words of God enter.

Life on earth probably doesn’t change. The rent is still due. Groceries still cost money. Your teenager still frets and worries you. There is, however, the greatest difference the universe has ever known—the veil is taken away and God’s word enters. Thank you God.

Deuteronomy 26:8 (English Standard Version)

8 And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders.

There are times when God is terrifying. God appears in works of terror.

Terror is a harsh word. I don’t recall times in my life when I was terrified. Thank you God for that blessing. Such is not the case for all persons at all times. There have been times in the last several thousand years when terror was common for some persons in some places.

Still, God can bring terror for God’s purposes.

I live in one of the richest places in the richest country in the history of mankind. It sure is comfortable here in this air conditioned Starbucks with persons waiting on me, hot coffee in a cup in my hand, a super duper computer searching all the knowledge of the world at my fingertips, and I could go on and on with how good this is. Terror? God? Surely, we jest. No, we don’t.

Please God, let me never forget the terror you can bring. Let me never stop giving thanks for being spared that terror up to this moment in my short life.

1 Kings 10:23-24 (New Living Translation)

23 So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth. 24 People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him.

King Solomon had asked God for wisdom. God gave Solomon wisdom. People from all the nations came to consult with Solomon because they recognized how Solomon was blessed by God.

First, wisdom. This isn’t just knowledge (a₂ + b² = c²), it is how to apply knowledge and how to understand what people mean regardless of what they say. Solomon had wisdom from God. He understood people and things.

Next is God. The nations knew that there was a god who created all. They had their own gods for this and for that, but there was a supreme god above all others. They understood that the supreme god had a special relationship with the Jews and with Solomon.

The Jewish god Jehovah was different. And everyone knew that. And everyone acted in a way that showed they knew that.

We sure are advanced today, huh? We know better, huh? Nope.

Deuteronomy 10: 18-19 (English Standard Version)

18 He (God) executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

In these verses, God is passing instructions to the people on how to treat sojourners.

One good source tells us: A sojourner is a person who resides temporarily in a place.

Okay, so when living in the land given by God, the people were to love those who passed through the land living here and there temporarily. Fine. We understand this. We read that God executes justice for those who cannot protect themselves, and that includes the sojourners.

Then this all falls apart. God describes the people as being sojourners in Egypt. The people were in Egypt 400 years. 400 years. “Residing temporarily in a place” and “400 years” don’t match. Do they? They don’t match in my mind. I mean America is some 240 something years old. That isn’t temporary, is it?

Yes, 240 years, 400 years, a few thousand years, all temporary and just passing through. God’s time and my time are different. This is a specific and concrete example of those differences. Something simple like a few years shows how far apart my brain is from the mind of God.

Oh well, and sometimes I think I am right along with God on these things. Please God, help me realize my place.

Nehemiah 6:15-16 (New Living Translation)

15 So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. 16 When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.

Those exiles who returned to Jerusalem had finished repairing the wall of the city in 52 days. Their enemies were frightened and humiliated.

It wasn’t the speed of accomplishing so large a task that troubled the enemies. The enemies realized the work of God. God the Creator (Jehovah) had helped this band of folks who had little means to accomplish anything.

If God would help this people do this, what else would God do for them?

We learn that it can be frightening to realize that God acts here and now, right in front of us.

We also learn that it can be humiliating for enlightened persons who think that all this “silly God superstition stuff” isn’t silly or superstition, but is real and right in front of us and undeniable. Uh, what? That’s real? I just thought it was…

“Give me a sign. Show me,” is sometimes heard. Signs and shows, however, can scare folks out of their skin and dump a large dose of humility on their head. And when they come trembling and humble to me for advice, I pray that I will react with fear and humility and thankfulness for the gifts from God.

Deuteronomy 4:34 (New Living Translation)

34 Has any other god dared to take a nation for himself out of another nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what the Lord your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes.

The people are hearing the law given to them by Jehovah, their god. We have this question asked of the people. Has anyone seen or heard of a god so powerful and intent that the god pulled a nation out of another nation?

I saw nations come out of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (the Soviet Union) in the early 1990s. That, however, wasn’t performed by a god.

The removal of God’s people from Egypt came from miraculous signs and (get this last one) terrifying acts. Yes, acts that terrified, literally scared the Egyptians to death. The Egyptians told the people to get out, now, fast, take what you want, but just leave us alone. The Egyptians saw what Jehovah the god of the people could do. They wanted those people to leave and take Jehovah with them.

Seen any terrifying acts lately from God? I haven’t. I have seen powerful acts from God. Hmmm, if God is powerful enough to… then God is also powerful enough to …. Fill in the blanks with wonderful and terrifying things. Yet, I have days when I just don’t… What? Huh? God?

Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Job 13:1-2 (New Living Translation)

1 “Look, I have seen all this with my own eyes
and heard it with my own ears, and now I understand.
2 I know as much as you do.
You are no better than I am.

Job the afflicted is talking to his friends. Job is trying to teach his friends what is right. Job’s friends are trying to teach Job what is right. This back and forth of “I know, you don’t” goes on for pages and pages and pages.

Consider verse 2. Notice the prominent use of the words “You” and “I.” What are the persons discussing? What is “this” mentioned in verse 1? We aren’t told. Who knows best has overshadowed what is right or wrong. What we are told is that two persons are arguing over who knows more and who is better. And these two persons are standing before God while they dispute the superiority of the two of them.

And I wonder how God doesn’t just whomp the two over the head with a baseball bat.

Take verse 2 and reverse the “I” and “you.” We now have: “You know as much as I do. I am no better than you.”

Perhaps that is how I should always begin a discussion where I disagree with another person. That reframes the conversation. Please God, help me remember that when I dispute another person, we both stand before you. We don’t really know much at all let alone know more than the other.

Deuteronomy 1:16-17 (New Living Translation)

16 “At that time I instructed the judges, ‘You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisions 17 and impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don’t be afraid of anyone’s anger, for the decision you make is God’s decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’

These are instructions to those who would be judging disputes among God’s people. First, we note that there will be and have always been disputes among God’s people. We just can’t seem to live without disputing with one another.

The judges are told to be impartial regardless of the person’s standing in the community. Everyone deserves a just judgement. The judges should not fear reprisal from those who “lose” in the judgement. The decision is God’s decision.

1. The decision of the just judge is God’s. There is to be no blaming the judge. If you are not happy, blame God.
2. The judge is supposed to be just. The judge is to declare the same thing that God would.

Whoa. This second one is tough on the judge, huh? The old “What would Jesus do?” hits the judge with “How would God judge?” That is what the judge would have to ask and that is how the judge would have to judge.

Again, this is easy and this is almost impossible at the same time. The choice was up to the judge. Do God’s will. Did the judge see God’s will as a promise or a curse?

Now we come to me and to today. Do I see God’s will as a promise or a curse? Do I give the choice to God? Do I keep the choice to me and try juggling several thousand years worth of “progress” and trends and fashions and philosophies and precedents and …

Why would I choose to disregard God and take on all those other things? What is wrong with me? Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Luke 10:21 (New Living Translation)

21 At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.

I think I’m pretty smart. I did well in school. I did well in an intellectual profession. Good for me.

Jesus thanks God for hiding some of the great truths and lessons from those who think they are pretty smart. They consider themselves to be wise and clever.

The truths from God are revealed to the childlike—not the child-ish, but the child-like. The childlike are humble. They stand in the back of the crowd. They can’t quite see what “everyone sees and knows.” They depend on others.

The childlike depend on others. That is it. The childlike know we need help. We know we need instruction. We know we cannot do it on our own. We need God.

Thank you God for helping the childlike. Thank you for providing what we cannot. Thank you for your grace that brings us to you and all we need. And please God, help the wise and clever to know what it means to need you.

Matthew 1:20-21 (New Living Translation)

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

This statement from the angel of the Lord is going great, until the last three words.

The people of the day are loving it, until the last three words.

The Promised Land and its people are loving it, until the last three words.

The Messiah from God will save His people! Great! We love it! We will be restored to peace, prosperity, security, national nationhood and something like that! Great, until the last three words.

Our sins? Well, sure we have sins, but… We are about to be saved from all our ills and our tormentors, right? Our sins? That’s sort of esoteric or something we can’t touch or something way out there. How about some real-life relief, huh?

Sigh. I want something tangible. I want something in the short term, today, this week. Give me a better coffee shop and a shorter commute. Give me flexible work hours and location. Give me a few more days off. Please.

Save me from my sins. That is so far away. That is so hard to grasp. I’m tired. I have a headache. Just be the God that I want You to be.

No. God is God. I am not. God understands much better than I understand. I need to grasp what it means to have my sins erased. On some days I come closer to that. Jesus came to save me from my sins. That is glorious. Please God, help me in my unbelief.