Contemplative Bible Reading

Genesis 34:7 (New Living Translation)

Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob’s family, something that should never be done.

A group of brothers is furious that their sister had been raped. This was “something that should never be done.”

Note that this (hi)story is in Genesis. This all occurred before God the Creator gave Moses “the law” as part of the Ten Commandments. Note that everyone knew this was wrong.

I could fall into all sorts of trouble here by discussing controversies of theology that have names I don’t know. I find it sufficient to note once again that before Moses banged out the Ten big ones on stone, people everywhere had a strong sense of right and wrong. There were some things that you did not do. If you did them, the community would punish you.

In our post-post-post-post…modern world, it seems we have lost this idea that there are “somethings that should never be done.” We have replaced the “never” with “Well, ya’ know, there are times when you have to…” And note that I write “we” as in all of us. Yes, me, too.

Perhaps we need to return to the time of “never.”

Romans 6:18 (New Living Translation)

Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

Followers of Christ are now slaves to righteous living. Uh, er, what? Freedom in Christ makes me a slave to something? Some explanation please?

An attempt: as a “slave” to righteous living, righteous living is my owner or master. Let’s use the term “master” to step away from the slavery angst.

Righteous living is my master and teacher—my mentor. I look to it for guidance on how to live and be and interact with others. I look nowhere else. I seek instruction from nothing else and no one else. Righteous living is everything to me.

I no longer look to sin as a guide. I look to righteous living and the Creator of righteous living.

Life is much easier now. I still suffer the slings and arrows of life in this world, but it is much easier.

Genesis 28:14 (New Living Translation)

And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.

God is speaking to Jacob. God is passing on the blessing and task to Abraham’s grandson as He did to Abraham and then to Isaac.

Wow, this is great, right? My family will bless the earth. Aren’t we special? All we have to do is cruise through life and everyone will look at us and cheer and thank us and…

Well, not so much. Carrying a blessing is a responsibility. It can be a chore. Others can be, uh, how shall we say it, jealous.

Today, all Christians carry the blessings. This means I carry the blessing. Am I up to the task? Do I act every day like I have a blessing to pass along to everyone I meet? Perhaps God will cut me some slack and let me drop the blessing now and then for a day or a year or two. This blessing carrying can be not-so-much-fun at times.

God, thank you for sending people and situations into my life daily that remind me of the blessing. Help me to always carry it with joy and freely share it.

Exodus 31:13 (New Living Translation)

Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.

God is giving instructions to Moses to pass along to His people. God has set them aside for a special purpose. He wants all the people of the earth to be able to recognize these special people who are set aside for a special purpose.

One of the unique things God gives these people as a sign is the Sabbath—a day of rest.

See people resting on the seventh day of the week? They are special. The Creator chose them to do something for everyone else.

Now, we can disagree on the details. We can discuss for centuries, as people have, the special purpose God gave the descendants of Abraham and how that special purpose continues or doesn’t continue today. Still, at that place at that time, God put up a big billboard pointing to these people.

Do we have such a sign today? What is it about Christians that the world looks at us and says, “Wow, look at that. Those people are different.” What is it about me that the world looks at me and says, “Wow, look at Dwayne. He is different.” Rats. How did I come to realize this challenge that I often fail to meet? Please God, help and guide me daily.

Genesis 18:19 (New Living Translation)

I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.

God is discussing Abraham, who will become the father of many nations. God selected Abraham from all mankind to keep the way of the Lord. Okay, here it is. Let’s note this one and follow it. How do we keep the way of the Lord?

Let us do what is RIGHT and JUST. Okay, where is the rest of it? Where are all the really big things? There must be more to it, right? I suppose not. God wants us to do two things:

Right

Just

Hmmm. Come to think of it, I’m not doing too good here. There seems to be a lot of WRONG and INJUSTICE about and around me. Back to the drawing board. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

2 Samuel 8:7 (New Living Translation)

David brought the gold shields of Hadadezer’s officers to Jerusalem

David captured gold items from a defeated enemy. He brought to gold to Jerusalem to use for God.

Let’s step through this one. The enemy was evil, no respect for God the creator. God helps David defeat this enemy. David confiscates the gold. David brings the gold to God.

Did God need this gold?

What do we give to God? Does God need what we give? Does God want us to give to create a closer relationship with God? Where do we get the stuff we bring to God? How do we obtain it? Any more questions we’d rather not answer this morning?

I contribute money to a local church that I attend. That money pays for the time of people who can work in the community and in the church for God. I am not alone in this giving as countless persons have done the same for some 20 centuries. I am blessed in that I don’t live in a time a place where I conquer evil enemies each summer and bring captured goods back home. I don’t have to decide what David had to decide.

Still, some questions we can keep in mind.

1 Samuel 18:17 (New Living Translation)

17 One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.”

Sound familiar. Saul had an idea. He could indirectly kill David by sending him into battle where no one would suspect…

Years later, David sent Uriah, husband of Bathsheba, into battle where no one would suspect…

Coincidence? Perhaps not. We all  choose our teachers. We all choose persons from whom we will learn things. Are we learning the wrong things from the wrong teachers? We certainly have lots of bad-teacher candidates available.

Judges 13 (New Living Translation)

6 The woman ran and told her husband, “A man of God appeared to me! He looked like one of God’s angels, terrifying to see.

…

16 “I will stay,” the angel of the Lord replied, “but I will not eat anything. However, you may prepare a burnt offering as a sacrifice to the Lord.” (Manoah didn’t realize it was the angel of the Lord.)

What do God’s angels look like? How do they differ from “men of God?”

How many angels have you and I met this week? Are we sure the answer is zero? Ever had a person decline a meal or other good? Well?

Deuteronomy 29:19-20 (New Living Translation)

19 “Those who hear the warnings of this curse should not congratulate themselves, thinking, ‘I am safe, even though I am following the desires of my own stubborn heart.’ This would lead to utter ruin! 20 The Lord will never pardon such people. Instead his anger and jealousy will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will come down on them, and the Lord will erase their names from under heaven.

No problems. I got this one. Doesn’t matter what I’m doing. I’ll be fine.

Really? Do we trust God to do what God says? Well, maybe only when God says something good about me?

I believe that God let’s us choose much of what we do. God gives us some direct statements of “if…then…else” (for us computer programming fans). God has the authority to back out of these. I doubt God will do that often. But for me? God will make special case. Right? Oh, what’s that phrase at the start of verse 20? Oh, yeah, “The Lord will never pardon such people.” Oh, well, so much for the I am safe thought.

Luke 24:25 (English Standard Version)

And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

What does it mean to be “slow of heart?” How can you make your heart go faster? How do you make yourself believe faster?

No, I don’t have answers. Sometimes it takes me a while to come around to an idea. Especially an idea like that fellow from Nazareth actually did rise from the dead and is walking along the road talking to me. Oh, that idea. Yeah, that might take me a while to, uh, er, come around to it or something.