Reading for Revival Week Five-Proverbs

Paraphrase of Proverbs 3...
If you want to know the divine,
if you want to see God,
if you long to understand this world and your own life,
shout it.

Shout it the way you may shout curses when frustrated. You may at times call out for God to condemn whatever you hate or find frustrating-from the trivial to the catastrophic. You say oh my God in response to the trivial and the catastrophic. Why don’t you cry out--oh my God--reveal real meaning in life to me. Give me insight! Help me understand nature, understand others, understand myself. Help me understand why live goes the way it goes.

Say it aloud, the way you may usually wage your curses and complaints.

You work day and night to possess houses and cars and clothes and status. Put that type of effort into the pursuit of God. You may examine consumer guides, search the internet, interview friends and strangers looking for the best of everything from toasters, to colleges, to doctors, to car deals. You seek these treasures with intelligence and passion. Seek for understanding of God and the life he desires for us with that kind of passion and intellectual commitment and you will find yourself holding unimaginable, indestructible possessions.

Give to the LORD before you do anything else with your money. Those who are thoughtful in this way with their money—who purpose and plan and are generous to others—will often be observed to have plenty.

Being shaped by good principles; understanding the consequences of good and bad behavior makes you into a person of strength in character. This is the nature of God’s discipline—not punishment and vengeance against your weaknesses, but a kind of loving teaching—the way a good parent teaches a child. A parent doesn’t fail to correct and lead a child deeply loved, but will provide the child with guidance and boundaries—yielding a wise and productive life for the child and joy to the parent.

Wisdom is better than wealth. It may not seem that way, but you know you may possess great wealth but lack happiness and peace.

The LORD’s wisdom—intelligence, creativity, power, and order— expresses itself in creation—in the skies, in the rain, in the sea, in the morning dew. Don’t fail to see this—this insight will emanate from within, will be displayed as fine jewelry around your neck; it will give confidence to your steps, and keep you from tripping up on the road of life.

What may happen in your life if you pursue the wisdom that comes for the LORD? When you are in a quiet place sitting, sans TV, IPod, and conversation of others—you will not be anxious but can calmly reflect. When you are in bed—you will sleep with the sweetness that you are in good stead with others and with God—because your actions and words have been laced with wisdom. You may not feel the same kind of panic others feel when things go wrong, because your heart and mind have been at one accord with the Creator and with ethical and spiritual guidance he affords.

How might this accumulation of wisdom be played out in your conduct? Do not fail to pay back those who have loaned money to you when you are capable of paying. Be certain to give to others promptly when you have the means to provide something they need. Honor the trust of your neighbors; never knowingly harm them in any way. Don’t pick fights with others—especially when someone has done no harm to you. Don’t wistfully look at thugs, gang members, or others who use violence to gain power and do not imitate them on any level—in spite of the wealth they accumulate. Remember the use of violence, quarrelsomeness, and greed in any form is a perversion of God’s great desire for his people. When you walk in fiscal responsibility, in honesty, in peace, doing kindness to your neighbors, you walk in the ways of LORD and will sense that he is speaking his wise insight into your life.

In the big picture of life, where wickedness abides so does the curse of the LORD and where there is this kind of upright living—the blessings of the LORD become part of daily existence.

If you are in the frame of mind in which you scorn the LORD—you may experience the negativity, cynicism, and cruelty often born of scorn. He favors humility over sarcasm and cynicism. Stubborn, foolish ways—that ignore his presence in nature and ignore his ethical path may find its followers experiencing disgrace. Building your life in recognition of the LORD’s ways establishes a kind wealth that outlasts calamity and allows you to pass on the true wealth of an honorable life to the next generation.

Reading for Revival Weak

Reading for Revival Week Five

How about weak five? The last several days find me weak from frustrations unrelated to reading. There is the temptation to let this slip—which I will not do. I will not do it because some friends and my very sweet mom are keeping up with the readings. Accountability helps.

It reminds me of when I ran with Jo Kite in the mornings in York, Nebraska. I told her I would be out there to run at 6:00 AM at 25 degrees. I could not skip out.

When it comes to reading the Bible—I have long thought it is not that we have the obligation or rule that we should read regularly—to fail to read and study is living below our privilege.

I take it for granted that I have the faculties to read and study. I take it for granted that I have many copies and versions of the text at my fingertips. I take it for granted that I have the freedom of religion. I take for granted the awesome nature of the kingdom of God.

From The Message, Matthew 13

Why Tell Stories?

The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?"

He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again:

Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing.
Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing.
The people are blockheads!
They stick their fingers in their ears
so they won't have to listen;
They screw their eyes shut
so they won't have to look,
so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face
and let me heal them.

"But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance. Matthew 13:11-17

I want to embrace my chance.

Peter said in his first letter:

The prophets who told us this was coming asked a lot of questions about this gift of life God was preparing. The Messiah's Spirit let them in on some of it—that the Messiah would experience suffering, followed by glory. They clamored to know who and when. All they were told was that they were serving you, you who by orders from heaven have now heard for yourselves—through the Holy Spirit—the Message of those prophecies fulfilled. Do you realize how fortunate you are? Angels would have given anything to be in on this.”
I Peter 1:10-11

Psalm 20

Plans, pleas, and victory

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! The name of the God of Jacob, protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion...May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans.

May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the name of God set up our banners...Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the LORD our God. They will collapse and fall, but we shall rise and stand upright.

Give victory to the king, O LORD; answer us when we call."
From Psalm 20

In the beginning of Exodus, God repeatedly says he heard the groaning of his people and remembered the covenant he made with them. He begins to put Moses into action to take the people to the land he promised them.

My mom, Emma Jo Choate, prayer warrior extraordinaire, tells a story of a woman who called into a phone line at Van Dyke Church of Christ years ago. The woman asked for the church to pray over a concern and then said, "I will call back with the victory."

Since then, mom frequently says when there is a prayer request, “I will pray. You call back with the victory.”

Sodom Still Simmering

Another thought provoking response on the Sodom and Gomorrah blog. A friend from Mississippi writes:

Your comments on the Sodom narrative in Genesis reminds me of the words of the prophet Ezekiel:

"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy." (16:49)

It amazes me when I look around at our society and see that we, too, are so self-oriented that it is acceptable to seek one's own personal satisfaction instead of being called to uphold and respect the basic human dignity of others who were created in just as much of the image of God as we were. There really is no limit to what we will allow ourselves to do for personal pleasure and satisfaction.

The more I study, the more firmly convinced I become that the sin of Sodom was that they were able to look at their fellow man (and woman) and see them as objects, not brothers and sisters. It makes me wonder, how far off are we?

The outpouring to Haiti has been touching. We can be so generous when we get the picture of the extent of suffering. We can be calloused to suffering of others closer to us--the day to day struggles of the working poor, for example.The comment by a South Carolina politician recently about children who get free and reduced lunch stung because the tone of the remark reduced them to less than human. Metaphors matter when leaders speak and teach. If he had spoken in a kind tone regarding the challenges of cultivating dependency, the offense would not have been so great. Contempt for the poor violates the Spirit of Scripture.

Reading for Revival Week Four--The Process

For my friends who have been corresponding with me—I did find a printable listing of the scriptures for each day on a website: www.OneYearBibleBlog.com

So, Week Four will find us in beginning in Exodus, and continuing in Matthew, Psalms, and Proverbs.

I glanced at the website which has lots of material each day. I have not yet even determined who puts it together, but I will be examining it from time to time for inspiration. Keeping up with the reading and finding some outside reflections on these subjects keeps me pretty busy. How about you?

I think it is good for me to stick to reading all week and posting on the weekend. I think short posts may be more readable than one long one.

I have been thinking so much about Genesis, although I have been doing the other readings, I haven’t had time to comment much on Matthew, Psalms, and Proverbs. If you are doing the readings and have something to share—questions, comments, even prayers, let me know. I’ll post your observations, too.

Themes I have been conscious of—you may have noted—are gender issues and general interpretative questions. As I read this week, I am looking out for ways God showed love and grace to the rascally people in these stories. I am also going to be doing some outside reading on the covenant to Abraham and want to write a bit more about that—because I think the love of God and the covenants made with man are the underlying messages to you and me.

Lessons for Little Ones?

Why are these stories in here? Are they for me to follow? Are they for me to formulate moral positions? Are they there to explain how things work in the world?

Are these early stories really lessons for little ones?

Jacob and Rebekah could be stars in a soap opera. A modern re-do of their story could rival Destiny, that lawyer series starring Glen Close.

Jacob stole from his brother; his brother did not kill him; he was blessed.
Jacob wrestled with God; God did not kill him; he was blessed.
Afterwards, Jacob was generous to his brother; his brother did not kill him; he was blessed.

He was one of the least deserving guys to receive such blessings.

That might be a lesson for us. We may wrestle with God. We may wrong others. We may, in spite of ourselves, be blessed.

Joseph’s saga shows that there are no new sins under the sun. Partiality and extreme sibling rivalry. Child trafficking and slavery. Neglectful, vengeful, and exploitative family members and dens of thugs. Rich urban women—like Potiphar's wife—can take their turn at being exploitative and deceitful—not just leaving it to hunting and gathering nomadic types like Eve and Rebekah.

Yet, Joseph inspires with the possibility that even the exploited, and the neglected, by the grace of God, can rise above circumstances and shine like stars in dark places.

That is a powerful story for children.

Some general reflections...

If you simply start reading Genesis, with no preconceived notions—nearly impossible—but if you try—you don’t see any descriptions of God that we give to him based on later passages of Scripture. You do not see the terms omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. Theologians, though I find them very helpful, can sometimes function outside the narrative of scripture in assigning God traits. Many works of popular devotional literature call God these things, creatng systems for interpreting his actions that are certainly not laid out in Genesis. I am thinking in particular of the view of God's sovereignty that says he is completely unchanging, controls all actions of men, and that every particular thing that happens is His specific will.

These stories hold some problems for that view, I think.

The God of Genesis seems to be so far, a God creating, relating, contemplating, urging, bargaining, recompensing, and revealing himself to humanity.

If I understand Christopher JH Wright, the main take-away from these stories should be the actions of God in granting grace. Creating a beautiful Garden in which to live, with no initial effort for man. Granting Abraham wealth and promise, based not on his actions, but on his belief. His continued blessings on this flawed, but fascinating family, including Jacob and his sons. A study human nature and interacting with the divine. Agree?

Sodom and Gomorrah

In the Sodom and Gomorrah narrative, homosexuality is undeniably part of the story.

Were pervasive same-sex relations the reason for the destruction of the cities? Pardon my frankness, but this is what I am wondering—is the willingness to rape the visitors the outcome of homosexuality or is the homosexual rape part of a culture of all kinds of lust and brute violence? I am thinking of prison rape. Is it a function of homosexuality or is it a function of brute violence and lust?

I am asking because this story is used to condemn homosexuality today. Is that what this story is about? Is this an admonition to those who claim same-sex attraction and love?

Are the other stories in these chapters admonitions about personal moral conduct? How is this to interpreted in the context of all the other goings on?

God, Grace, and Faith

God made a promise to Abraham. Then, Abraham moved his family around. He offered his wife to rulers for as a concubine. He slept with his wife’s servant. He generously shared property and wealth with his nephew. He acquired enormous wealth. He routed tribes in short wars. He participated in bloody sacrificial rituals. He bargained with God. He nearly killed his own son. He gave a tithe to a mysterious, to me, priest, Melchezidek.

Abraham heard the voice of God and moved in the direction God asked of him. Abraham, sensitive to a number of divine directives, was deemed as right before God not for the sum of his deeds, but for his faith.

God’s promises to him seemed improbable if not impossible, and he certainly did not see in his life the totality of their fulfillment. The part he did see—the birth and life of Isaac—had to produce an increase of faith. I wonder how he processed all this in the middle of the night when he woke up and thought about Sarah, Isaac, Hagar, Ishmael, and the promise?


The fact that he was father two sons from whom came great nations fascinates me. The father of Islam; the father of the Israel; and we who are Christians are adopted as his offspring.

Reading for Revival Week Three-The God Gene?

God creates, relates, reveals...
How was Cain supposed to know God would reject his sacrifice?

In the flood narrative—it says that the people were evil. I wonder if they knew they were evil?

How did people know God?
How did they know, after the fall, what he expected of them?

The text doesn't reveal moral law being laid out for them.

Romans says that creation itself speaks of God.

Romans 2:14-15 states,

When Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.

Is this a function of the God gene? Is it the evidence of God?

Reading for Revival Week Three-Selections

January 17
Genesis 35:1-36:43
Matthew 12:1-21
Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 3:21-26

January 18
Genesis 37:1-38:30
Matthew 12:22-45
Psalm 16:1-11
Proverbs 3:27-32

January 19
Genesis 39:1-41:16
Matthew 12:46-13:23
Psalm 17:1-15
Proverbs 3:33-35

January 20
Genesis 41:17-42:17
Matthew 13:24-46
Psalm 18:1-15
Proverbs 4:1-6

January 21
Genesis 42:18-43:34
Matthew 13:47-14:12
Psalm 18:16-36
Proverbs 4:7-10

January 22
Genesis 44:1-45:28
Matthew 14:13-36
Psalm 18:37-50
Proverbs 4:11-13


January 23
Genesis 46:1-47:31
Matthew 15:1-28
Psalm 19:1-14
Proverbs 4:14-19

Isaac, Abraham--tell me why

I cannot think of a more troubling story told to me in my youth, with as little explanation or meaning, as the sacrifice---near sacrifice--of Isaac. Finally, I read an argument that one of the functions of this drama was to convey to Yaweh’s people that Yaweh would never require a child sacrifice, as was common in the era.

In the conclusion of this narrative, as you recall, God provided the ram.

In our narrative as Christians, God alone provides the child sacrifice, the Jesus, the lamb.

A little sweeter possibility to pass on to explain to our little lambs as bedtime story.

Years ago, my very good friends, Janie and Jimmie Lawson, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, introduced me to a book, An Eye for an Eye: The Place of Old Testament Ethics Today, by Christopher JHWright. No book ever gave me more delight in my understanding of the Bible. I cannot find my copy of that book right now, but I do have another one by him, Walking in the Ways of the LORD, The Ethical Authority of the Old Testament. I find them a little difficult, since I am not a formal theology student, but they have given me some theological background that helps me form a more coherent story in scripture.

It’s easier to read the Old Testament with some guidance. Christopher JH Wright is a protegee of the John RW Stott, the venerated Anglican leader.

Revival Reading Rated R

The Flood-Under 17 not admitted--sexuality, violence, some nudity
This sounds more like a Greek or Roman story of divine beings and humans interacting than I remembered reading. It makes me wonder about divine and human connections, about the realm of invisible spiritual warfare. Check out this from Genesis 6

1 When the people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that they were fair, and they took wives for themselves of all they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not abide in mortals forever, for they are flesh; their days will be a hundred and twenty years."
4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. They were the heroes of that were of old, warriors of renown.”

So picture, the Nephilim, reportedly a population of giants from this primeval period, cavorting with the offspring of the sons of God and the daughters of the earth, these warriors of renown. Whatever this is about, obviously God was not very happy with the carrying on and as a consequence put an end the era of five, six, seven hundred year-old people.

Imagine the market for plastic surgery in those days.

Eventually, semi-divine hanky panky combined with the total depraved conduct of the population of the fallen world, provoked God to plan destruction upon them all.

When I was a child I don’t remember really liking the flood story much, but I don’t remember being terrified by it. I think because there was a lot more emphasis on how cool the ark was with the gopher wood, pitch, and all the animals. I did not like the idea of the folks drowning, but I think I pictured it like folks were knocking on the door wanting in and getting turned away. I never thought of the wrenching fear and utter destruction of this event. I don’t think I ever reflected on in meaningful way until the tsunami of 2004 and the destruction of the shore Bande Aceh, Indonesia.

I cannot really imagine what they found on the earth when the waters receded. Horrible thought.

The pervasive nature of the flood narrative throughout many cultures actually helps me have more faith. It doesn't necessarily make me like it much, however--not that it matters.

Further, the rather unflattering story of naked Noah and his sons makes me think the writers were more interested in conveying a story of the nature of man and God then in trying to create heroes for hearers to worship.

Any insights out there on the Nephilim and the warriors of renown?

Childbirth--Curse or Climax?

To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing; in you will bring forth children.”

The New Oxford Annotated Bible gives a helpful comment on the above found within Genesis 3:16-19,

“Though this is often understood as a “curse” of the woman to pain in childbirth, the word “curse” is not used in these verses. Others have suggested that this text sentences the woman to endless “toil” (not pain) of reproduction, much as man is condemned in v.17-19 to endless toil in food production. The man’s rule over the woman here is a tragic reflection of the original connectedness between them.

This tops some interpretations coming down through the eons around about woman and childbirth and God. Some folks used to have a creepy view that women should not even take Lamaze classes for fear of relieving the pain God assigned to women. My sister, Deborah, gave me The Joy of Natural Childbirth, when I was expecting my firstborn. This little volume begins telling the story of a couple who, while expecting their first child, went to their pastor for some biblical insight into childbirth.

The author, the late Helen Wessel, used this vehicle to dispel the teaching of the curse of pain and espouse the view of childbirth as toil—labor. If I recall correctly—it’s been nearly 29 years since I read it—she equates the birth of child as tantamount to the ultimate, euphoric sexual climax. Hmmm. Wessel may have overstated it, but she makes a vibrant case for women, childbirth, and the grace of God in Christ.

I recommend it.

Wow, Woe, Whoa

Adam saw Eve and proclaimed, “This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.” I heard this could be interpreted as saying, "Wow!" Maybe so.

Not long after that, he might have cried, "Woe." The fall troubles Adam, the rest of humanity, of course, and depending on whom you listen, the woman’s culpability, creates degrees of trouble for the wow sex. A reader on this blog said, “But I still feel that the curse of Eve is emblazoned on all women to wear as a scarlet letter to be forever ruled by men.” That response gave me pause. It may be because the tradition in which I grew up doesn’t really teach a doctrine of original sin in the either the Catholic or Calvinist tradition, I have never been inclined to reflect much on the curse of Eve in such an intense way.

I did once hear a highly regarded minister say that it just means that women are more inclined to sin than men. I pause. I say, "Whoa."

"As an atheist, I truly believe Africa Needs God."

In case you missed the following article last year, I wanted to post it as an observation of some of the good done by the Christians in Africa. Times writer, Matthew Parris, winner of 2005 Orwell Prize for Journalism, spent much of his youth in what is now Malawi. In December of 2008, he wrote

But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I've been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I've been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.

Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.

Read the whole article.