The Heaton File

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. (1 Corinthians 14:15)

Prayer And Song

Worship is a time of joy. Whether we are enjoying the fellowship of collective or private worship the communion we share with the Lord fills the heart with a heart of praise. It is especially true when we gather as one people to lift our voices together and to lift our hearts as one. Singing and praying have always been an integral part of man’s worship to God. The mouth was created to give glory to the Father. Talking to the Lord through prayer expresses the deep feelings of the heart. Singing songs of praise honor the love God has for us.

The challenge in the church at Corinth was their worship had become a confusing time. Praying and singing was not in the spirit desired from the Lord. Spiritual gifts were being abused causing the assembly to be in disarray. As a result the prayers were ineffective. Songs of praise were unproductive. Paul addresses the problem exhorting the early Christians to remember the meaning of prayer and hymns. While the spiritual gifts have long ceased there often remains a view of prayer and song today that make them just a part of what is required with little understanding of their value.

Prayer in worship is speaking the promises of God. Jesus warned against vain repetition and rote words of prayer. These words should come from hearts that are pouring out their love to Him who gave so much. There is no single pattern of prayer but the model of the heart thanking the Lord for His grace. In reality prayer is simple: talk to God about what is on your heart. Let Him hear the joy and love in your life. Praying with the understanding is the feeling of gratitude for all the Father has done.

Singing in worship is more than just sounding good. So often the emphasis is more about the parts of singing instead of the part singing plays in my life. God wants us to sing together to please Him. Some do not sing because they do not have a singing voice. God is not interested in whether you can sing with the Metropolitan Opera – He wants the heart to express love for Him. The words of the songs should move our hearts. The message of the hymn should cause our lives to be uplifted with the joy of salvation. Singing with understanding knows the power of song in praising my Lord who saved me. Meditate on the words of the song to help my heart fill the halls of Heaven with my praise.

Prayer and song. Understand their value. Know how they will change my life today. Worship God in prayer and song today.

I wept at the beauty of your hymns and canticles, and was powerfully moved at the sweet sound of your church singing. These sounds flowed into my ears, and the truth streamed into my heart. (Augustine, Confessions, IX, 397)

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

Then Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, Jehu will serve him much. Now therefore, call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. Let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu acted deceptively, with the intent of destroying the worshipers of Baal.

And Jehu said, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it. Then Jehu sent throughout all Israel; and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. So they came into the temple of Baal, and the temple of Baal was full from one end to the other. And he said to the one in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out vestments for them. Then Jehu and Jehonadab the son of Rechab went into the temple of Baal, and said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search and see that no servants of the LORD are here with you, but only the worshipers of Baal.” So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Now Jehu had appointed for himself eighty men on the outside, and had said, “If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escapes, whoever lets him escape, it shall be his life for the life of the other.” Now it happened, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, “Go in and kill them; let no one come out!” And they killed them with the edge of the sword; then the guards and the officers threw them out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal. And they brought the sacred pillars out of the temple of Baal and burned them. Then they broke down the sacred pillar of Baal, and tore down the temple of Baal and made it a refuse dump to this day. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal from Israel. (2 Kings 10:18-28)

Wrong Place At The Wrong Time

Jehu had a lot of blood on his hands. He reigned over Israel for twenty-eight years and did much to avenge the evil done through the house of Ahab. In one of his final acts to destroy idolatry he devised a ruse that would single-handedly wipe out the worshipers of Baal. Calling a great sacrifice requiring all the followers of Baal to attend the temple was standing room only. What a great day this would be for Baal. Everyone there was excited about the visible power of Baal worshipers and the activities of that day were filled with all the debauchery of the heathen god. Clothed in the vestments of wickedness the worship was a grand experience. Unknown to the worshipers were the eighty men selected by Jehu to carry out a murderous deed.

When the final burnt offering was completed the eighty assassins came into the temple and killed everyone. No one escaped alive. Blood filled the temple. Screams could be heard inside. Worshipers scrambled anywhere they could to find refuge but no avail. Their god did not save them. No one could save them. The temple of Baal was a place of slaughter. However this time it was the worshipers who suffered the blade. Burning the pillars of Baal the temple was torn down becoming a refuse dump for many years to come.

Before Jehu locked the doors of the temple sealing the fate of worshipers he and Jehonadab made an announcement to the Baal worshipers to make certain there were no worshipers of Jehovah God in their midst. Quickly searching among the crowd anyone found to be a follower of the Lord was removed. The text does not say if any such individuals were found but the decree was made nonetheless. Remember what the invitation said? The feast was only for the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. What would a child of God be doing in a place like that? Why would a follower of the one true God find himself in a place such as the temple of Baal? Is it possible that some servants of God deceived the crowd to believe they were worshipers of Baal? If so, they were at the wrong place at the right time because they would be killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is such a powerful lesson.

There are Christians today who believe they can mingle with the things of the world and remained unstained. Like the worshipers of Baal they embed themselves in unholy practices believing they are safe from harm. On the one hand there will be saints putting themselves in places they should not be when the Lord comes and then what? I remember a lesson from youth that was told in a Bible class: what if you are in such and such a place when the Lord comes – what will the Lord find? It is a sobering thought. It is easy to live with the idea there is no fear of being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time but it will happen. If the Lord does not come in our lifetime what reason do children of God have in going to things that not wholesome for God’s people? Can we escape the pollution of the world when we are standing in the midst of the pig pen? We smell like what we live in. When we live in the world with all its trappings we smell like the world. Shame on us.

It is a puzzle that Jehu would have to make such announcement. Why would any child of God find themselves in the temple of Baal? I am afraid we have to say the same thing today in many places. “Would all Christians please leave …..” Sad. That is a great story.

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a dog by the ears. (Proverbs 26:17)

Dog Troubles

Get the picture firmly in mind. A man has a snarling dog by the ears. The dog is snapping, barking and spitting at the one who holds him by the ears. He is angry and he wants to bite the man who dared involve himself with something not his own. On the other hand the man knows he must hold on tight to the ears of the dog (causing more pain and aggravation) because if he lets go the dog is going to tear into him. He now wishes he had let the dog alone. Meddling in the affairs not his own finds himself looking down the throat of a barking dog intent on ripping this man to shreds is a moment of clarity. Next time (if he gets out of this situation alive) he will let sleeping dogs lie.

Frankness characterizes the proverbs. This simple proverb is direct. There is an image that is vividly placed within the mind about those who would meddle in affairs not their own. It is not the intent of the Holy Spirit to suggest we do not look out after the needs of our brethren because we are our brother’s keeper. However this proverb points out the dangers of being busybodies, gossips and those who stick their noses into things they should well leave alone. The apostle Paul would exhort the brethren in Thessalonica to lead quiet lives and mind their own business instead of being busybodies in other people’s affairs. That is the danger. Some folk just have a notion they must tell others what and how they ought to do things when they should mind their own affairs.

One of the greatest problems in human relations is gossipers and busybodies. The New Testament epistles are filled with admonitions warning against those who mind the business of others as meddlers. You might as well grab a dog by the ears.

The gossiper stands in Syria and kills in Rome. (Talmud J. Peah. I.I., c. 500)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15)

Tough Love And Loving Tough

The church is made up of people and this can be a problem sometimes. Satan knows the children of God are susceptible to arguing, fussing, fighting and he works hard to cause as much disharmony in the ranks of God’s people as he can. The early church began with a powerful testimony of unity as new saints joined together as one. But problems began to arise with neglect, murmuring, lying, prejudice, false doctrine – the list goes on. Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth describes a group of saints reeling under the wiles of the devil as they fought against carnality, sexual immorality, rebellion, false doctrine, division, and a host of destructive heresies. Every church in the New Testament suffered from the blight of sin. The church at Thessalonica was no exception.

The Thessalonians were a stalwart group of disciples. Paul’s commendation of them was glowing. However, like all other churches they had problems. The apostle exhorted the brethren in his second letter to take note of anyone who would not obey the word of God as given in his letters. New Testament disciples were privileged to live in a time when men spoke from the Holy Spirt and Paul’s letters were not mere correspondences of information but holy scriptures set forth as doctrine for all to obey. Refusal to follow the tenets of early apostolic writing was rebellion against God. Paul warns the church of the Thessalonians to refuse fellowship with any who would not follow the word of God.

Discipline is two-fold. First it is established by teaching, instructing and guiding. The majority of discipline is found in the area of teaching. If instructive discipline fails there is a need for punitive discipline. Refusal to obey the instructive discipline requires an action of a punitive nature. The Holy Spirit directed that if saints at Thessalonica refused to obey the word of God they were to be punished. The intimacy of fellowship was to be withdrawn so the rebellious Christian would feel ashamed. This was an exercise of tough love but a much needed action. Like the correction of a child the punishment was intended to bring pain but with the prayer the painful experience would help to mold the heart to obedience.

One of the most important aspects of punitive discipline is to remember the rebellious brother or sister is not an enemy. When we correct our children they do not become our enemy because we still love them fervently. The purpose of the correction is to change the heart. If someone in Thessalonica refused to obey the will of the Lord the brethren were to take punitive action to cause the hearts of the rebellious to repent but in the vein of love for their souls. The admonition was from a heart of brotherly love.

It is sad to see brethren walk away from the truth. The attitudes of the heart will make brethren turn from the saving grace of God to their own desires. They are still our brethren and we should continue to pray for them. Refusal to practice church discipline in the punitive manner is rebellion against God. Churches that refuse to admonish brethren through the means of punitive discipline are rebelling against God. Souls are at stake. It takes a tough love to love people enough to exercise this kind of love.

Love is a union of wills. The perfect love of God is a perfect union of wills with God: that means the inability to will anything that God does not will. (Thomas Merton, The Waters of Siloe, 1949)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord; praise Him, O you servants of the Lord! You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant. For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.

For I know that the Lord is great, and our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places. He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast. He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants. He defeated many nations and slew mighty kings–Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan–and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to Israel His people. Your name, O Lord, endures forever, Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations. For the Lord will judge His people, and He will have compassion on His servants.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear; nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.

Bless the Lord, O house of Israel! Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron! Bless the Lord, O house of Levi! You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord! Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord! (Psalm 135)

There Is No God Like Our God

Praise comes from a heart that recognizes the greatness of the one with whom we stand. It is an awe inspiring feeling to be in the presence of the Holy God of Israel to see His great works among them. As a people Israel was a living testimony to the power, mercy, grace and love of the Lord. Nothing on earth can compare. Creation calls forth His name. He is not limited by time and space. The heavens cannot contain Him. His might is found in the storm filled with lightning and wind. He did mighty things in Egypt when He slew all the firstborn of the land destroying the Egyptian army in the sea. As the nation of Israel journeyed to the land of promise no king could stand before them. Kings like Sihon and Og and all the kingdoms of Canaan were nothing compared to the Almighty God. They melted before Him.

What is an idol but a totem of man’s fears that create a god out of wood or stone? The gold and silver that make the idol shine does not create power. There is no life in an idol. It is an inanimate object of foolishness that men bow down too seeking deliverance from their terrors. Those who serve idols serve themselves. Deliverance does not come from a voiceless idol.

Praise, honor and glory are to be given to Him who speaks, who sees, who hears and who has the power to save or destroy man. Jehovah God is real. His power is mighty. His wonders abound in the world as testimony to His greatness. Trusting in idols is the greatest folly man has ever done. Trusting in God is the greatest joy man will ever find.

Many still worship pagan gods today seeking deliverance through idols made of stone and wood. In America our idols are more subtle. We worship materialism and prosperity. An idol is something created by man to give him peace trusting in its supposed deliverance rather than finding answers from God. It is easy to be overcome by the ‘stuff’ of our day that we spend years to attain and to what end? We may not fall down to a statue of Buddha but the results are still the same. Our gods become the pursuit of the American dream. The works of our hands become the idols of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Idolatry is doing well in our land. Many of God’s people are spending all their energies to serve a world that is passing away making no provisions for an eternal home. How sad.

The next time a storm passes through take time to see the power of Him who created the lightning, rain and wind. Know that what you see is the glory of the everlasting God. Look around at all the stuff we hold on so tightly and see what its value really is. Like an idol it is all dumb. It cannot save us. Jesus Christ can. Praise God. Bless the Lord. You who fear the Lord bless the Lord.

Often I see the words, “Christ Is The Answer.” Indeed, He is the answer to everything. If we are Christians we are members of His body, and therefore part of the answer. But judging by the way some Christians live, they are part of the problem. (Vance Havner, 1901-1986)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons. (Philippians 1:1)

I Am A Saint

If a lie is told long enough it can be accepted as truth. Sometimes stories become urban legends that were never based on fact yet accepted by many as being true. There are many long held beliefs that if investigated for clarity are found to be false. Religion is not immune to spiritual ‘urban legends’ of beliefs held by people throughout history. Myriad are teachings accepted as Biblical when in fact nothing is farther from the truth.

The world holds a convicted belief that in order for one to be a saint there is a long series of requirements. This is based on a process that has developed over centuries of time with long held traditions outlining the manner one is recognized as a saint. It is required that certain evidence be submitted to church officials the individual considered lived a righteous life, exemplified great faith and there are at least two miracles related to this person’s life. This doctrine is rooted in the Roman Catholic dogmas which have permeated into the belief by most people of what makes up a saint. To the surprise and sometimes anger of religious people this teaching of sainthood is far from what the Bible teaches. And here is the need for absolute clarity: if one will only read the Bible and the Bible alone they will find none of the Catholic doctrines of sainthood.

Throughout the Old and New Testaments the reference to the people of God as “saints” is found almost one hundred times. A saint is someone who has been set apart by God – not the Pope. Man can become a saint but man cannot make a saint. When Paul wrote to the church at Philippi he was not writing to a special group of folk who were part of the Roman Catholic Church. These were ordinary people who lived ordinary lives under the extraordinary grace of the Lord. They were saints for one reason: they were the children of God. Every Christian is a saint because every Christian is a child of God. Being a saint does not suggest perfection no more than being a Christian implies perfection. Regardless of what the Pope declares, what Catholics believe or what the world accepts as tenants of what a saint is the word of God simply describes a saint as a person who is a servant of the Lord. There were saints in the Old Testament and there were saints in the New Testament. Today there are thousands of saints who serve God every day because they are children of the Most High God.

How does one become a saint? Peter answered that question in Acts 2:38-39. He told a crowd of devout Jews to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise was then and continues today. And then a wonderful thing happened. Three thousand saints under the Law of Moses became saints under the grace of Jesus Christ. When does one become a saint? In the waters of baptism. If you have obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ in the death, burial and resurrection of obedience you are a saint. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Praise God you are a saint.

The simplest and most necessary truths are always the last believed. (John Ruskin, Modern Painters, 1856)

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Man Was Created For Light

Nocturnal creatures live in darkness. They were created to adapt to a world void of light. Man is not such a creature. He lives in the world of the day adapting to the night with technology but limited because he is a creature of light. Spiritually man was created to be in the light not darkness. People have always enjoyed the darkness more than the light because they can hide the wickedness they do. When Jesus came into the world He came as the Light to give man direction. Walking in the day is much easier than walking in the night. Daylight exposes every danger and stumbling block in the way. Life with Christ illuminates the dangers helping us avoid them. Following Jesus as the Light offers peace and comfort because He knows the way and we can see the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Satan is the darkness of the world. Those who follow him will always walk in darkness and will never have the Light. He shadows the lives of those who follow him with dangers and perils unseen. Without light his victims blindly follow him to perdition. Life is hard as people of darkness stumble and fall from one temptation to another. Jesus explained that those who follow in darkness do so because they love the darkness. Because their deeds are evil they do not desire for the light lest their lives be found to be useless. Darkness is their friend. It is also their end.

Walking in the Light means exactly what it says. The one who follows Jesus will have clarity and assurance. He is not afraid of his life because it is clearly seen by God. Trusting in the purity of the Light truth is revealed. Light always dispels darkness. Darkness can never overcome light. Even a small candle can illumine a room of darkness.

Each of our lives is represented by a candle. We do not hide our lives under a basket where darkness dwells. Our light shines forth because we radiate Christ Jesus in our lives. Everyone begins as a candle of light. Most have their light extinguished by the prince of darkness. Obedience to the Lord rekindles that light to be seen as the glory of God overcoming sin. Jesus is our Light and we follow Him. Those who follow Christ will always dwell in the Light. Those who follow Satan will always dwell in the darkness. Light or darkness. Which will you chose?

O Everlasting Light, surpassing all created luminaries: dart the beams of Thy brightness from above and penetrate all the corners of my heart. Purify, beautify and vivify my spirit with all its powers: that I may cleave unto Thee with transports of jubilation. (Thomas A Kempis, Imitation of Christ, 1441)

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:15-17)

Worship In Peace, In Song, In Thanksgiving

Man was created to worship. There is nothing more central to the happiness of man than the act of giving homage, respect and glory to the Lord God Creator. From the beginning of time worship has been the key to man’s happiness. The types of worship have changed over the generations but the nature of how to worship remains the same. Jesus told the woman at the well sermon that His Father desires for men to worship in spirit and truth. From Adam to what we do today on the first day of the week worship is a time of peace, a time of song and a time to give thanks for all the blessings bestowed on us.

Our worship today is about the peace of God. The world is filled with a lot of uneasiness, anxiety, fear and worry. Being together with people who love the Lord and love one another is the spirit of peace. Isaiah declared the peace in the coming kingdom as the wolf and the lamb dwelling together or the leopards lying down with the goats. Our hearts are ruled by the peace of God. United under the common cause of the cross of Jesus Christ we share together in the turmoil’s of life. Peace is how we share our worship today.

Our worship today is about the word of Christ dwelling in our hearts. This comes from a meditation of the word of God surrounding His grace in our hearts. Like the psalmist we love to read God’s message of peace. It dwells in our hearts richly as the fruit of its branches fill every corner of what we think, what we do and how we live. The Bible teaches us truth. Each day is a small measure of God’s love filling our minds. His wisdom is my wisdom. His teaching is my teaching. His word is my life.

Our worship today is about singing. The good news about God’s ear is that He loves to hear His children singing no matter whether the tune is carried in a bucket or not. It matters not how the child sings but rather that the child is singing. He wants us to sing to Him with joy. Grace fills our hearts as we joyfully proclaim the peace we have in Christ. Singing brings peace. It soothes the troubled soul. Words fill our minds with the love of God. Singing is as much about listening as making a joyful noise. We do not sing by ourselves today. We lift up our voices with others to exalt the name of God. Our worship is an experience of togetherness. It is about one another. It is about communion. Singing is worship with one another to one another for one another.

Our worship is about what we do. Whatever we do in word is about Jesus Christ. All that we do in deed is about Jesus Christ. Worship is about Jesus Christ. When we worship God we remove the selfish motives of our lives yielding them to the will of the Father. Our worship to the Son is our worship to the Father. God gave His Son to die for us. Can we worship any less than honor given to such a sacrifice? How great is the love of the Father and how great the love of the Son.

Worship is about saying thank you to the Father. During the time of collective worship today keep in mind how thankful we should be for the grace of God. We can never say it enough but we should say it often. Worship today with thanksgiving. How awesome a God we serve. Thank you dear Father.

Perfectly to will what God wills, to want what He wants, is to have joy. (Meister Eckhart, 14^th Century, Works)

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed is she among women in tents. He asked for water, she gave milk; she brought out cream in a lordly bowl. She stretched her hand to the tent peg, her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; she pounded Sisera, she pierced his head, she split and struck through his temple. At her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; at her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell dead. The mother of Sisera looked through the window, and cried out through the lattice, ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarries the clatter of his chariots?’ Her wisest ladies answered her, yes, she answered herself, ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil: to every man a girl or two; for Sisera, plunder of dyed garments, plunder of garments embroidered and dyed, two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?’ Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Lord! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength. So the land had rest for forty years. (Judges 5:24-31)

The Story Of Three Women

Judges is a book filled with stories of the early days of Israel before the kings. It was a time of great turmoil. The period of Judges is characterized by a cycle of rest, rebellion, rejection and redemption. When the people served the Lord there was rest. In time the hearts of the people turned away from God and the Lord rejected them to the plight of an oppressive army. Pleading for mercy the land would be redeemed through the hand of another judge. This story would repeat itself throughout the writings of the judges.

Early in the judges a woman named Deborah, a prophetess, was judging Israel. The people forgot the Lord and He sent Sisera commander of the army of Hazor, the Philistines, and the king of Moab to punish the people. Through the leadership of Deborah and Barak the Lord routed Sisera and all his army with Israel defeating them completely. However Sisera escaped from his chariot and fled on foot. In his retreat the commander came by the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite. She implored Sisera to come into her tent to rest and find safety. Covering him with a blanket the commander asked for a drink of water. Instead Jael brought him warm milk to drink to help him sleep. Filling himself with the cream Sisera fell fast asleep.

It was the practice of the women to pitch the tents and break them down when moving. These were large tents requiring great skill and strength to manipulate. Jael was not unfamiliar with the use of a hammer and a tent peg. Silently coming to where Sisera lay fast asleep she places the tent peg over the temple of his head and with a great blow drives the stake into his head. She strikes the peg with such force it penetrates the brain and comes out the other side into the ground. In an over simplistic manner the Holy Spirit writes, “So he died.” Deborah’s song illuminates the manner of his death.

Meanwhile a third woman awaits the return of her son. The army of Sisera has been decimated. No one has been left alive. As the mother of Sisera anxiously looks out the lattice her maidens comfort her that he will home soon. They tell her he is busy plundering the possessions of Israel and taking captive girls. The wait stretches into days and then weeks when they realize none of their men are coming home. She grieves the death of her son.

Three women. Deborah who judged the people in the righteousness of God’s will. Jael who had the courage to execute judgement upon the enemies of Israel. A mother who would never see her son alive again. Three different stories. Three very different women. What a great story.

p. s. Heber must have treated Jael very nice from that day forward. Just saying.

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

Can anyone teach God knowledge, since He judges those on high? One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and secure; his pails are full of milk, and the marrow of his bones is moist. Another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, never having eaten with pleasure. They lie down alike in the dust, and worms cover them. (Job 21:22-26)

Worm Food

Job struggles with the calamity that engulfs him physically and spiritually. Three of his friends are feeding his paranoia of why suffering has so overwhelmed him. He treads upon sacred ground to challenge the Lord searching the matters of His wisdom. Why does God allow him to suffer? His children are dead, he has lost everything save his wife and friends are found to be without comfort.

There is no man like Job. He was one of the most righteous men on earth. His thoughts turn to the plight of the wicked compared to the righteous. He reflects upon all he sought to do for God and now his life is nearly destroyed. There are many wicked men who walk about with little or no suffering in life. Why is it that he did all he could for God and he suffers instead of those who live in open rebellion to God? How can he charge the Lord for this seemingly imbalance of life? He cannot.

The book of Job is about victory in the face of suffering. It shows the real purpose of life is not about what we have here but what we gain in eternity. Life for the righteous and the unrighteous can be different but the end is all the same. Many will live righteous lives and suffer little. Such is the case with those who are wicked who live contently in this world. Some who serve God will deep devotion and suffer immense pain dying miserably. Even wicked people can fill their lives with sin and never find peace or happiness. The story of life is not about how a man lives but how a man dies. And that is the meaning of life: all men die the same way.

Life is a whisk of air that appears for a moment and then vanishes without a trace. What separates those who live full lives and those who live unfulfilled lives are those who decide that life is a challenge but dying is the victory. The wicked can live full lives with “pails full of milk” but their death is a horrible reality of condemnation. Those who seek God in life may find suffering but their death is a moment of joy. Job would come to know this more clearly when his trial comes to an end. The lesson is to know how to see life and to know the same end comes to all men: we are covered with worms. The good news is the new body we receive in glory can never be eaten by worms. Live for God. Joy awaits.

That day, which you fear as being the end of all things, is the birthday of your eternity. (Seneca, Epistulae ad Lucilium, Epis. C. 11, c. 63 A.D.)