Amalek, Agag, and Ahmadinejad

This Sunday, Feb. 28th is a special day. It iss a day of celebration known as “Purim,” a Jewish holiday that marks the historic and courageous actions of a young girl named Hadassa 2470 years ago- actions that saved a nation. Of course, you know her better by her other name: Esther. Her story is one of the most exciting in all of the Bible. It has everything a great story needs: A beautiful heroine who rises from obscurity to become queen, an evil villain who is out to destroy her and all her people, spies, intrigue, a desperate chance to thwart the wicked plot, unexpected twists, and a great ending where good triumphs and evil is vanquished! If you have never read the book of Esther, read it this week - or better yet, read it to your kids for their bed-time story!

The hero of our story, Esther, was a Jew living in exile in Persia. The evil villain’s name was Haman who was filled with demonic hate for Israel bent on genocide. The Bible says Haman was an “Agagite” which means he was a descendant of Agag. (Es. 9:24) Remember him? Agag was the king of the Amalekites that Saul was supposed to utterly destroy about 600 years earlier. (1 Sam. 15) Because Saul failed to obey God and completely wipe out the Amalekites, Saul was rejected as king of Israel and some descendants of Agag survived to perpetuate his line which would eventually extend all the way to Haman. But why did God want Saul to wipe out the Amalekites? Because God knew what they intended for his people. The Almalekites were filled with hate for God’s people and were intent on wiping out Israel. Amalek was a grandson of Esau (Gen. 36:12) and you know the history between Jacob (Israel) and Esau, the father of all the surrounding nations. Four hundred years after Jacob and Esau, Moses would bring Israel out of Egypt on the exodus back to Israel. The descendants of Amalek who had now grown into a nation of their own, were one of their first adversaries. The Amalekites attacked Israel even before they reached Mt. Sinai. (Ex.17) There Joshua led the army against them while Moses interceded on the mountain and after the battle, Moses makes an interesting comment. He reveals a new name of God, “Jehovah Nissi,” meaning “God is my banner,” and proclaims that the LORD would be “at war with the Amalekites” – this people filled with hate for God and the Jews- “from generation to generation.” (Ex. 17:16) Fast forward 450 years to Saul: God commands the destruction of Amalek to prevent the slaughter of the Jews, but Saul fails, so the cycle continues. Now jump 600 more years to the time of Esther. The descendants of Agag the Amalekite have now been assimilated into Persia as revealed in the person of Haman. The same devilish plot to destroy the Jews is still afoot. What did Moses say? “From generation to generation!” Again God intervenes, this time through Esther, and God’s people are miraculously saved! The desire of Satan to kill the Jews has been evident from the beginning, since “Salvation is from the Jews.” The Devil wants to destroy the “mother” of Christ… Israel! (Rev.12:13-17)

King Solomon wrote “There is nothing new under the sun” and Cole Porter reminded us that “Everything old is new again!” ….the pattern continues! Two generations ago it was Hitler with his “final solution” to exterminate the Jews and right now a Persian leader, named Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is hatching a plot to, in his own words: “Wipe Israel off the map.” In the very near future the Amalakites will strike at Israel again. They will try to utterly destroy God’s people. But you can be assured that God will miraculously and supernaturally intervene. God has used military might in the past, Joshua’s army over 3000 years ago, the 82nd Airborne 65 years ago and the IDF in ’48, ’67, and ’72. There were kings and leaders who obeyed God and were used as instruments of deliverance for Israel, and others who, for political expediency like Saul, refused to obey, and failed. God even used a young girl named Esther to stop the evil plot. What will he use now? Who will he raise up today? That remains to be seen, but you can be sure that God will accomplish it! And next week, next month, next year, when you see it unfold on CNN and FOXnews remember all this history. Remember God told us what would happen before it took place. ..and now you know…. The rest of the story!

A Snowy Day

For some odd reason, I decided to write to you this week about snow! I don’t know why, but it’s just been on my mind somehow? Did you know that the Bible mentions snow about 25 times? Usually, snow is used as a standard to compare something else to. Ten times we read, “as white as snow,” twice, “as cold as snow,” and once, “as pure as snow.” Five times the word snow is used in a poetic sense to refer to the winter season, as in: “She is not afraid of the snows,” and once to indicate the mountains by calling them “the snows of Lebanon.” Three times God asks Job unanswerable question about snow to show Job that God sees the big picture while we humans see very little, and two times the Bible speaks of a specific snowy day in history. Do you know what day that was? I’ll put the answer at the bottom of the article! But I told you all that to tell you this - my favorite “snowy” verse in the Word. “Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow” Did you get that? Not “as white as snow,” but “whiter than snow!”

King David pens these words in Psalm 51. Do you know the context of that Psalm? After being confronted with his sins of adultery and murder, David confesses and repents of his sin. With a contrite heart and a broken spirit, he seeks God’s forgiveness in faith, believing that God will forgive him, restore him and purify him to the extent that he will be whiter than snow! Did you know that it is possible to be whiter than snow, even though snow is the very thing that is used as the standard of cleanness and purity that all others are measures against? Every snow flake is an ice crystal that forms in the upper atmosphere. Each crystal forms around something – a tiny microscopic speck of dust! At the heart of a clean pure snowflake is dirt! When God forgives us he takes away all sin, all guilt, all punishment, all fear, all condemnation, even the “stain” or “left-over” residue of sin! He removes our sin from us as far as the east is from the west! In other words, infinitely removed! The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness, completely removing it so that, as Isaiah put it, “though our sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow!”

Does that excite you? Does that give you hope? Does that give you peace and joy and motivation to serve such a great and loving God? Jesus said that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees we would not enter the kingdom of God! The Pharisees were a group of guys who spent all day every day trying to figure out how to be holy! Can we be better than that? YES! Because when we come to faith in Christ, we no longer have to “try to be good.” Instead we receive by grace through faith, His righteous record of perfect holiness…and without holiness no man shall see God! So Christian, don’t let the devil condemn you. “There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus!” Neither should we continue in our sin. For we have been set free, made holy, washed clean! Let us not go back to the pig pen of sin! Rather, let us live pure and holy lives. Would a bride wallow in the mud while wearing her clean white wedding dress? Would a man let vandals destroy his prize classic car that he just detailed? No, they would prize them and fight to keep them beautiful and clean. Let us do the same with our great salvation that cost him so dearly. “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light!” (Eph.4;1, 5:1-3,8)

P.S. You’ll find that particular snowy day in 2Samuel 23:20 and 1Chron. 11:22.

Lessons Learned from a Grouchy Lady

If you missed “The View” two weeks ago in the newspaper, it’s because we used our space in the paper to advertise an upcoming event at Hanover Friends: The Love and Respect Marriage Conference, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 19-20. I am really excited about this conference and encourage you to think and pray about participating! For more information, go to http://www.friendlychurch.org/. Even though I didn’t have a column in the paper, I did write one…and I encourage you to read it on the web site too. You can also subscribe there to receive “The View” via e-mail. It will help you understand this week’s “View” of you read that one in its entirety.
I was asked an interesting question this past week about my last two articles. A reader asked how I could write my first article of the year entitled “Prediction – Pain!” which detailed some of my ideas about negative things which might happen in 2010, and then the write my very next article in response to the Haitian earthquake making the case that God is NOT pouring out his wrath on the world through earthquakes, storms, fires, mudslides, tsunamis or any other natural disaster. Her question was, “How could I reconcile the seeming conflict of these two positions?” The answer is easy! In the first article I predicted war, economic crisis and persecution of Christians, among other unpleasant things. But in each case, I spoke of disasters that were all man-made. Every one of these things result from the choices of people – men acting from their God-given free will in opposition to God’s revealed will in His Word resulting in painful circumstances for the earth. God does not take our choices from us, but neither will he remove their consequences. Thus, my prediction for 2010? Pain!

In the second article, I spoke of events that were NOT man made, but were natural disasters, like the Haitian earthquake. These come upon the earth because the earth is no longer perfect since the advent of sin. (see Gen. 3) The whole creation is groaning, awaiting its redemption from the curse of sin and death. (Romans 8:20-22) Until that day, we will have sickness and disease and all kinds of natural disasters! (For a detailed, Biblically reasoned argument on this, read last week’s “View From Here” at http://www.friendlychurch.org/) I hope that clears things up for anyone else who was wondering!

I also received a nasty phone call from an anonymous grouchy lady reader who took issue with the article of Jan. 6, 2010, “Prediction? Pain!”  She told me that I was the most negative person she had ever heard and if I believed all these bad things were coming I must be miserable and I ought to go ahead and take a gun and shoot myself! (No kidding, that's what she said!) She also blamed me and “people like me” for society's rejection of “organized religion”…and a lot of other rubbish. And you know, she’s got a point…. almost. Paul makes it too. “If in this life only, we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” In other words, if this life is all there is, and the only “benefit” we get out of being a Christian is to be found here on earth, then we might be happier by not turning the other cheek, not putting others first, not forgiving those who hurt us, etc. But the truth is…this life is NOT all there is! Hallelujah! Get this: “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1Cor. 15:13-22)

I suppose if I didn’t believe in the resurrection of Christ, I’d have the same opinion of me as the cranky lady who called. But I believe in the Living Lord! And that makes all the difference! I am not miserable. My heart is filled to overflowing with joy, even as I see hard things coming. For my God has overcome the world! He is more than able! Do you know Him?

About what Pat Robertson said...

Does God use natural disasters as instruments of His wrath? Could the devil use natural disasters to bring destruction as he seeks to kill, steal and destroy?
Good questions! Since the Haitian earthquake, this question has been shoved to the fore-front again by Pat Robertson’s comments about Haiti “being under a curse” because they made a “pact with the devil” and by the many media commentators who have blasted him mercilessly over those words. Over the past few years we have heard various Christian leaders make similar statements about hurricanes, wildfires, and tidal wave tsunamis, preaching that these events are punishments from God released on the earth as a result of man’s wickedness and refusal to heed his warnings. Typically, media personalities have a field day making fun of such opinions and taking sarcastic pot shots at anyone so Neanderthal to believe that the spirit realm even exists - much less to think that God or the devil could affect the weather or anything else physical on planet earth! But what about it? Does God cause disasters?
If you believe the Bible, then there is no debate about a couple of things. First, God has, in the past, used natural disasters as agents of His wrath: the world-wide flood which wiped out all mankind except Noah and his family, the rain of fire and brimstone, or burning sulfur (volcanic eruption?) which destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah along with “all the cities of the plain and its vegetation,” the plagues of ancient Egypt, (which included supernaturally timed “natural disasters” such as frogs, gnats, flies, livestock diseases, hail, locusts, and darkness), the earthquake which caused the ground to open up and “swallow” rebellious Korah, Dathan and Abiram along with all their families, and hail and lightning used to smite the enemies of Israel, all of these give ample indisputable evidence that God has in the past sometimes used “natural” disasters or phenomenon to inflict punishment on the guilty. Secondly, it is clear that God will, in the future, use natural disaster to inflict his wrath upon the world. The book of Revelation is full of these examples: massive earthquakes, 100 pound hail stones, famine, disease, asteroid strikes, and celestial events which darken the sun and the moon.
However, at no point does the Bible ever record a time when God destroys the righteous with the wicked. In fact, God in his discussions with Abraham before the destruction of Sodom was willing to spare the entire wicked city for the sake of just 10 righteous men if they could be found. Only Lot was found to be righteous and he was brought out of the city before the “disaster” struck. When God’s people were enslaved in Egypt, He always protected them from the plagues that were unleashed on their captors. In Revelation, there is no account of God striking the righteous with the “disasters” that befall those who have rejected Him. Rather, Paul writes to Christians telling us that, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thes. 5:9) If we are to believe that earthquakes and hurricanes are now being used by God for punishment, we would have to also believe that God has changed his practice of protecting the righteous or that only “wicked” people die when these disasters come.
But what about today? What about this New Testament “age of grace” that we live in? Does God send natural disasters to express his displeasure with our sinfulness? What did Jesus have to say about it? When asked by his disciples about two then-current events in which their countrymen had died, (the first was at the hands of their Roman oppressors and the second was in a tower collapse, perhaps due to an earthquake), Jesus responded, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." (Luke 13:2-5) In my opinion, Jesus gives little credibility to the thought that disasters come due to God’s wrath. Jesus lets us know that we ALL are guilty and that we are all “by nature, objects of wrath” (Eph. 2:3) If God were punishing the guilty with disasters, He’d have to hit us all! But why not? Maybe disasters are coming for us all? If God acted like that in the past and He is going to act in that way in the future, why not now? Because, God poured out his wrath - His wrath for all the sins of all men - on Jesus at the cross! So, for right now, God is not in the wrath business. He sent Jesus “not to condemn the world but to save it!”
However, (and this is a big HOWEVER), people who reject Christ are, according to Romans 2:5, “storing up” wrath against themselves for a future day! “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.” When will that stored-up wrath be released? Well, for those who die before the great tribulation, they will receive their “stored-up wrath” in hell. Others who are alive during the end times will suffer the wrath of God that he pours out upon the earth, including many “natural” disasters” AND they will feel the wrath of God forever in eternal damnation. But for now, God is not using earthquakes in Haiti, or Hurricanes in New Orleans or any other natural disaster to pour out his wrath upon the earth. (Even though we sorely deserve it!) He is instead holding out salvation, mercy and grace to any who will believe and receive Him.
In the particular case of the recent Haitian earthquake, it is true that over 200 years ago the tribal leaders of Haiti made a voodoo blood-sacrifice pact with Satan to serve Him in return for demonic help in overthrowing the French colonial rulers and the white plantation owners. Could this have opened this nation up to a “curse?” The answer to that is, “yes!” and much of Haiti’s social and political history seems to bear that out. However I do not believe such a curse could include this week’s devastating earthquake. At no time in scripture do we see God giving up his sovereign authority over the natural laws of earth to the devil. Even though the devil does have “dominion” over the earth – dominion that he took from Adam and later offered to Jesus when he was tempting him- and even though the devil is known as the “prince of this world”, ‘the ruler of the air” and the “god of the age,” God still controls the natural laws of earth. Otherwise How could God guarantee Noah that the world would never be destroyed by flood again, or how could He claim to “send rain on the just and the unjust” or how could Christ be described as the One who “holds all things together by the power of His word?”
In summary, it is my contention that the neither recent Haitian earthquake nor any other natural disaster which has befallen the world since Calvary has been used by God as an instrument of His wrath. Nor do I believe that Satan has the power or authority to use natural disasters against man. Satan was disarmed and defeated at the cross! Now all the devil has are lies and deceptions, and they can only hurt us if we choose to believe them! Natural disasters happen because we live in a fallen world -a world no longer perfect since the advent of sin, groaning for its redemption. (Rom. 8:20-21) Make no mistake, the wrath of God is coming and the Haitian earthquake with all its terrible human suffering gives us a glimpse of tiny sliver of an inkling of what that wrath will be! Thank you, Jesus, that because you took God’s wrath on the cross, we are no longer objects of wrath, but have been adopted as sons!

Prediction? .... PAIN !

There is a great scene from the movie Rocky III that comes to mind just now. Rocky’s mega-muscled and mo-hawked opponent for the big fight, a character named “Clubber” played by the then unknown actor, “Mr. T,” was asked by a reporter, “What’s your prediction for tonight’s fight?” Clubber gives a scowl and snarls, “Prediction? Pain!” Last week I promised my predictions for 2010. I am, however, somewhat conflicted about that since I know that on the one hand, I want to give you my honest view, but on the other, the Bible tells us not to worry but instead to pray and focus on those things which are good, right, true, pure, lovely, excellent and praise-worthy. How can I do both things at once? Thankfully, Jesus gave me a pattern to follow. He told his followers the hard truths. Pulling no punches, He told them about drastic and painful things to come: his own crucifixion, earthquakes, famines, wars, and persecution. He also gave his disciples hope and specific directions on how to find and grasp that hope! So here goes…

In my humble, and very human, opinion, here are some things that I think may happen in 2010:
*Early in 2010, the Iranian nuclear missile crisis will really become a crisis! Look for Israel to act and the world to react strongly against Israel in return.
*The U.S. economy will continue to decline and there will be great internal division. Higher unemployment, higher taxes, higher anxiety.
*Saudi Arabia, Russia, the E.U. and a Middle Eastern consortium will call for the U.S. dollar to be replaced as the world’s “reserve currency.” This will cause a sharp drop in the value of the dollar and further damage the already weak U.S. economy.
*Saudi Arabia will be drawn into conflict with other Muslim nations. Look for tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran to increase significantly. Saudi Arabia may, in fact, be the woman of Rev. 17 who rides on the beast, (the religion of Islam). The beast eventually destroys her. (Rev.17:16)
*Turkey will continue to rise in prominence and be looked to as the only nation who can bring peace and stability in the Middle East and the Muslim world. Look for a charismatic leader here.
*Terrorism and violence will increase: more shoe-bombers and underwear-bombers and you-name-it-bombers. There will be repeats of the Ft. Hood Massacre in diverse locations perpetrated mainly by Islamic Jihadists, but also random violence from others also under Satan’s control.
*Each night the news will feature the following names: Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and a host of others, Islamic nations all.
*You will hear the word “global” a LOT.
*Eastern peoples will turn to Islam. Western peoples will turn to alcohol, drugs, pornography and sex; they will turn away from God and His Word and they will turn against Christians and the name of Jesus. The media will continually ridicule Christ and His followers.
*America will continue to drift into Socialism. Personal freedom and responsibility will be diminished, while the “collective good” as determined by Washington will be exalted.
*Abortion and homosexuality will increase and find increased acceptance and “legal” protections. The traditional family will become an oddity.

Had enough yet? My prognostications for 2010 sound a lot like Clubber’s prediction: PAIN! But out of this pain, the true church will become purified, stronger and more passionate about Christ. Many will repent and turn to Jesus for salvation. We will learn to trust God above all things - that our only hope is Christ! Jesus said it this way: “I have told you these things so that you would not go astray” and “In me you may have peace” and that “your joy might be full!” So let’s “Fix our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, commit ourselves to our faithful Creator and continue to do good. “Prepare for action! Be self-controlled. Set your hope fully on the grace that will be given to us when Jesus is revealed!” (1Peter 1:13)

Abiding in the Fields

Note to readers: in my next article appearing the first week of January, I will make my predictions for 2010, but for now enjoy a brief re-telling of an event that happened 2010 years ago, an event that changed everything for everyone! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Abiding in the Fields

It was cold that night and unusually bright. Grandpa and I lay on the ground near the gate looking intently into the night sky at a star that neither he nor I had ever noticed before. Strange! Grandpa had gazed at the stars for many years, first as a boy himself, then with my dad and now with me, but always taking care of the sheep. Could it be that a brand new star had appeared - a star that even Grandpa had never seen? The sheep seemed restless, stirring around. The mamma ewes sniffed their babies and nuzzled them close. Then suddenly a bright light shone all around us. I was frozen scared. I jumped to my feet clutching my staff. Then I saw it… I mean… him.

He was clothed in a brightly shining robe. It was, well, it was… an angel, and he said “Do not be afraid.” I heard the Rabbi tell a story once of an angel that appeared to Gideon, and every spring Daddy reads us the story of the Passover Angel, but I never thought I would ever see one. And not just one! There were thousands of them that appeared singing praises to God. They said a baby had been born and that “Peace” was on the earth. Grandpa says “peace” will come from this child because the Angel told him the child was “a Savior” and that he was “Christ the Lord.” Many a night Grandpa had told me that the Christ, the Messiah, would come and rescue us, a Deliverer greater than Moses would appear. And now He has been born! So we are going into Bethlehem as fast as we can to find this child.

My heart is beating so loud I think it’s going to come out of my chest! After seeing the angels and hearing their voices, it’s hard to imagine something more exciting than that! But, I know that the world is going to be different because of this child. Somehow I know that my life is never going to be the same, that meeting the Savior will be the biggest, most important moment of my life. And not just for me. The most important thing anybody will ever do is meet the Messiah. I sure hope people figure that out.