SOAP 04/12/2014; 1 Chronicles 3:1-4

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 13; 1 Chronicles 2, 3; 2 Corinthians 12

S) "¹ Now these were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second was Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelitess; ² the third was Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth was Adonijah the son of Haggith; ³ the fifth was Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth was Ithream, by his wife Eglah. ⁴ Six were born to him in Hebron, and there he reigned seven years and six months. And in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years."

1 Chronicles 3:1-4 (NASB)

O) This short summarization screams volumes about king David's most common struggle. His lustful sins wrecked havoc in his relationship with God, his relationship with his immediate family, the succession to his throne, and his kingdom. Most people are aware of Solomon's hundreds of wives and concubines, but the problem really starts with his father's sexual sin.

A) Through Christ, the curse of the Law is done, according to Galatians 3:13. The law of sin and death is done, according to Romans 8:2. But there remains a mystery. Sexual sins, sexual dysfunction, still carry generational cycles. Whether it's through learned behaviors, or something more spiritual than physical; whether it's obvious or subtle, sexual pitfalls tend to have an awful way of repeating. This is why there are expressions like, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Certainly, there is a cultural battlefield to consider, but I want my son (and daughters) to have every advantage to succeed. That starts with Jesus, and doing everything I can to make sure my children learn who He is, and what it means to live a life submitted to Him as Lord. Then, I need to remember that, however it might trickle down, my sins can still have an effect on my children. God promised that He would no longer carry out punishment on the children, for the sins of the fathers (Jeremiah 31:29, Ezekiel 18:20). But, that doesn't mean that my sins have no effect on them, especially sexual sins. As if I needed any more motivation to pursue righteousness, and seek mercy in repentence.

P) Father, thank You for the mercy You have granted me, but thank You more for the mercy You have for my children. By Your will, whatever grace You have planned for them, let them receive it in full. However they can be spared from the effects of my folly, please spare them. Let me be ever conscious of how my sins, any and all of them, can and will affect their lives (and Kristin's life, for that matter). According to Your grace, let them each have personal relationships with You as Lord, submitting their lives fully to You. However I can be used to that end, let me be obedient, and graciously use me, in spite of my flawed attempts. Be glorified, Father God. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/11/2014; 1 Chronicles 1:19

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 11, 12; 1 Chronicles 1; 2 Corinthians 11

S) "¹⁹ Two sons were born to Eber, the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan."

1 Chronicles 1:19 (NASB)

O) So, the primary purpose of this whole chapter is historical documentation of genealogy. But, buried in the middle of it all, there is a small commentary about one of the people. Peleg was so named, because the earth was divided in his days. A little research shows that Peleg is only mentioned here, in 1 Chronicles 1, and in the genealogy in Genesis 10 and 11. In Genesis 10:25, there's a footnote saying Peleg means "division," apparently. In Genesis 11:12-18, we have a bit more detail about dates and times. He was born only 101 years after The Flood, and lived 239 years. And, here is the part where the picture really starts coming together... Nestled between the introduction to that genealogy (end of Genesis 10), and this detail, there is the story of the Tower of Babel, in Genesis 11:1-9. So then, we have the Flood subside, all of the world still used a single language (makes sense, being so close to The Flood), but then their speech is confused, and then we have a man who is named "Division." When all of this is put together, in the past, it might be considered, that this is some kind of mythos, to show why there are different languages on different continents. Then, I read/learn a little something about Pangaea, and things really start to click. Generally speaking, I think that modern science sees a lot of evidence for things that actually happened, especially things that are in the Bible, but the events have been down-played, marginalized, displaced in time (in estimation, truly), or else otherwise ignored.

A) In the end, it's tough to put a lot of significance to this idea. But, I also believe the LORD is intentional, especially with something so important as His holy Word. It's easy for me to summarize this verse along with this chapter, to say that God wanted it included for the sake of the genealogy itself. But then, I wonder, why would it be important to include the definition of Peleg's name? The practical truth, is that this theory cannot be proven scientifically (and neither can the general scientific consensus, hence "theory" used a lot), but this is a clue that God left, that makes us wonder. So, what I need to do with a verse like this, is continue to worship God as infinitely beyond me. He has a completely different view of the world, than any of us who dwell on it, could. He has a superior understanding of time, than any of us who dwell in it, could. .

P) Father, thank You for intriguing me. Little clues like this remind me how far beyond You are, and yet You leave "bread crumbs" that draw me toward You in complete awe. Your mysteries are impossible for me to fathom alone, for mankind to ever understand. Then You gave us the Holy Spirit, to understand according to Your will. Continue to draw me in, mystery by mystery, to understand You more little by little, even with things as insignificant as the history of this planet. With everything I learn, let me become more and more rapt by Your glory, LORD. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/10/2014; 1 Samuel 8:3-5

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 8, 9, 10; 2 Corinthians 10

S) "³ His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.
⁴ Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; ⁵ and they said to him, 'Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.'"

1 Samuel 8:3-5 (NASB)

O) A few things are here, that aren't exactly related.
First, it is tragically ironic that this issue is the same one that faced Eli, before Samuel. Eli was serving as priest, his sons were wicked, so Samuel comes to replace them as successor to Eli.
Second, it strikes me that this could have been early motivation for the Catholic church to require celebacy in their priesthood. I mean, there is biblical precedent for a priest to have wicked offspring. I'm well aware of the historical, political, financial reasons as well, but this did still occur to me.
Third, and most importantly, this was a major blow to Samuel, personally. He did, in fact, witness this same thing happen to the priest before him. In the very next verse, it says this, "was displeasing in the sight of Samuel," (emphasis added). Even before he brought the issue to the LORD, he recognized this as the same problem that brought him into the priesthood from the start. As he prays to God in the next few verses, he is also confronted with the fact that his failure as a father will mean a major shift for the nation of Israel, and there will be no turning back from this day.

A) Several places in the New Testament speak to the importance of leading my family, before trying to lead other people (see 1 Timothy 3:1-7, especially v.5). The above passage is one more example of that importance. In a larger sense, sometimes I see grandparents who must step in, raising their grandchildren as proxy-parents. I've never had the occasion to discuss it with one of them directly, but it occurs to me that many times, this need is borne from the parents (the 2nd generation), failing in some capacity or another. Drug use, crime, desertion, or some combination, leaves the 1st and 3rd generations with eachother. I wonder sometimes, how much the grandparent is driven by the guilt of facing their own failure in the absence of their child, the parent of their grandchild... If I am raising my children to love and serve God wholly, then I have done well. But, I think the real proof, is seeing how they raise their children. If I can see that I have taught my children, how to teach their children, then I know the cycle can really be changed toward God. By His grace, I was saved. By His grace alone, all are saved. But, I that does not relieve me of responsibility in raising my daughters and son to walk in my ways. Most notably, as they grow up and have their own spouses and children, I need to continue to teach them how to be effective spouses and parents for the LORD.

P) Father, by Your grace, You pulled me from the mire. You took me up, adopting me, disciplining me as Your own child. I know, ultimately, that my children belong to You. My grandchildren are likewise Yours. I am only a steward. But, as a steward to Your blessing entrusted to me, I want to be faithful to love them well. As my primary, external ministry, lead me to lead them. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/09/2014; 1 Samuel 6:19-21

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 6, 7; Psalm 72; 2 Corinthians 9

S) "¹⁹ He struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck down of all the people, 50,070 men, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. ²⁰ The men of Beth-shemesh said, 'Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall He go up from us?' ²¹ So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, 'The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord; come down and take it up to you.'"

1 Samuel 6:19-21 (NASB)

O) A certain similarity came out of this to me. The ark of the LORD had been held hostage, essentially, and Israel lamented the loss. At this time, the presence of the LORD was still with the ark. So, effectively, the presence of the LORD had been taken from the nation Israel. In that absence, the people were longing for the day it, and He, would return. Finally, in v.13, the ark is miraculously returned to the joy of the people who received it first. They took it from the cart, used the wood of the cart to build a fire, to sacrifice the cows that brought it to them, to the LORD. All seemed well. But then, there was this very large group of people, who wrongly assumed that the return of the LORD would bode well for them, because they forgot He is holy. So, there was a tremendous judgment upon His return. The surviving people, after realizing they are also guilty, sought out instruction for redemption and salvation. That bears a remarkable resemblance to the picture of the end times, to me.

A) First and foremost, I need to remember that the LORD is every bit as holy as He has ever been, making me every bit as unworthy, guilty, and endangered as I could ever be. But by the grace of God, I have received life through my faith in Christ. Following that, I need to keep in focus, that there will be a time when the Lord returns, and I cannot be under some misguided and dangerous assumption that I am "good enough" to survive the encounter! It will only be by the cleansing of my sins, through the blood of Jesus Christ, that will sanctify and redeem me on that day (and each day between now and then). The last application, is really that I can answer the question, "Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God?" And there really is only one answer, found in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is fairly well described in Hebrews 10:19-25, also throughout the New Testament.

P) Father, thank You again, eternally, for the grace that has been in my life, even from before I knew. May the mercy I receive each day, cause in me an overflowing thankfulness and joy. Discipline me to walk faithfully in the righteousness given to me through the work of Christ Jesus, my Savior, my Lord. In obedience, and courage, and wisdom, let me display the gospel to everyone who sees me. Let my words, actions, and life, point to the redemptive work of Your Son, so that everyone who can be saved, will be saved. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/08/2014; 1 Samuel 3:21

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 3, 4, 5; Psalm 77; 2 Corinthians 8

S) "²¹ And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, because the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord."

1 Samuel 3:21 (NASB)

O) The first verse of this chapter said, "And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent." It was not like the early history of God’s people. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each heard from the LORD. Then, with Moses and Joshua, you had leaders that heard directly from the LORD. As rolled on through the judges, the leaders who heard from God clearly, honestly, and accurately, were becoming fewer and farther between. Then, in steps a new priest, a true prophet, the young Samuel. The thing about prophets, though, is that they are usually proven after the fact. So, when Samuel declared that God said something, the revelation of the LORD was confirmed when the word came to pass. I almost wrote about v.1 of this chapter, because it reminded me of our current church. It certainly seems like it’s hard to find a head pastor who is hearing from the LORD, having clear, honest vision. But, when I read this last verse, it occurred to me, that the biggest difference between Samuel’s time and ours, is that the LORD revealed Himself to all of us, by the Word, Jesus Christ. Now, through the Bible, we have the revelation of His word available to us at all times.

A) The difficulty we face, is when we think we have a problem that does not seem to be answered, at least easily, by Scripture directly. Really, though, I need to remember to seek God directly. Just as with Samuel, I can hear directly from God, according to His will to speak so. The Holy Spirit within me can absolutely speak the word of God directly to me, straight into my heart, if not straight into my ears. That can be confusing, though, and very difficult to discern. Then, it’s a matter of the second half of the above verse, though. I need to take what I hear, or “hear,” and measure it up by the Word. God is not a liar, He does not contradict Himself, and He does not change. If what I heard does not align with Scripture, then I heard incorrectly. If what I heard is in alignment, then I should proceed with all faith, courage, and confidence in the word of the LORD.

P) Father, I long to hear You in my life. I thank You that I am born at a time and place, where the Bible is easily accessible. Let me never take that for granted, but also let me hear Your voice, LORD. According to Your will, not mine, speak to me about my life. Instruct me, warn me, encourage me, discipline me; direct my life daily, God. I want to be led by You, according to Your revelation, by Your word. There are many unknown things in my future, and I know that You intend to keep a lot of that a mystery, but I know there are things for which I need to prepare. There are missions to which I will be called. I want to be ready. Show me how to prepare, how to be obedient. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/07/2014; 1 Samuel 1:23

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 1, 2; Psalm 66; 2 Corinthians 7

S) "²³ Elkanah her husband said to her, 'Do what seems best to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only may the Lord confirm His word.' So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him."

1 Samuel 1:23 (NASB)

O) This is a good example of how a godly husband will allow his wife to make a decision. Elkanah had no conviction about what Hannah had decided (despite the fact that the decision was about his own son, but but that's a different issue). He asserts confidence in her ability to discern what is good, he confirms that he is on board with the decision itself, so long as it is in accord with the word of the LORD. Lastly, Hannah follows through with her dedication, so it's safe to say that Elkanah, at the very least, did not hinder her.

A) It's a tricky thing to find balance when leading my wife. On the one hand, I know I cannot be overbearing and try to make every decision for her. Not only is it impractical, even worse, it's oppressive. That's the sort of arrogant, prideful, and borderline-misogyny that created so much backlash against biblical gender roles. On the other hand, my lazy, sinful nature also wants to take a back seat and make no decisions whatsoever, completely neglecting my responsibility to lead. The trick to balancing something that is in motion (as life itself is in motion), is that you must constantly make adjustments to your balance point. It's never going to be perfect, but the hope is to find as small a swing as possible to the so-called pendulum. So, when my wife has certain convictions, and I don't discern anything about them one way or another, then I need to support them completely. If I do have some kind of conviction about the matter myself, then I need to be active and loving about discussing it with her. Ultimately, we are both submitted to the Bible as the final authority, so it's really about learning His will together.

P) Father, please give me wisdom to lead my wife in love, grace, righteousness, humility, understanding, and truth. Through the Holy Spirit within us, let us be united on convictions, and hearing from You, God. Let us, together, test every conviction we have through Your written words, to know if they are convictions from You. Discipline me to be the effective, leading, righteous husband I am created and called to be. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/06/2014; Ruth 3:16-17

Today's reading: Ruth 3, 4; Psalm 64, 65; 2 Corinthians 6

S) "¹⁶ When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, 'How did it go, my daughter?' And she told her all that the man had done for her. ¹⁷ She said, 'These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, "Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed."'"

Ruth 3:16-17 (NASB)

O) As I mentioned in yesterday's entry, the story of Ruth and Boaz is a great foreshadow of the redemption was have through Jesus. Boaz wasn't only securing a future for Ruth (and Naomi), but he was ensuring that their needs were being met, and then some, until the day the larger and more important promise is fulfilled.

A) This is how it is with the Father and Jesus. The redemption on the cross secured my future, but that was a heavy price to pay. In fact, there was no greater price that could be paid. Just like Boaz, God intends that to pay for my future, and give me a lasting security (in this case, heaven), but He also intends to meet my needs in the here-and-now. In my life, I must keep an eye toward the eternal, and not focus on the temporal, but I also need to live with the assurance, and trust in the promises, that provide for me here on Earth.

P) Father, I will never truly comprehend the complexity and completion of the work on the cross, but I thank You for every new bit I see of it. Continue to open my eyes to the wonder of that eternal work. Increase my faith, to see Your every intention and promise, made through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Your Son, my Savior. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.