Go Away Baldy!

   As I continue trudging through Kings and Chronicles in my chronological daily Bible reading,  it is sometimes hard to focus.  This weekend I was in 2 Kings 2 when I came across this verse: "From there Elisha went up to Bethel.  As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. "Get out of here, baldy,' they said, "Get out of here, Baldy.' (v23)  I laughed out loud.  And then, of course, I had to check it out in other translations.  The Hebrew means "bald".  That's the only word the translations use.  I wondered how different our culture would be if that were the worst insult hurled.  

    It bears saying that Elisha did not "turn the other cheek".  He called down a curse on them and two bears appeared out of nowhere and "mauled"  42 children.  Yikes!  It  seems a bit extreme for someone calling you "bald"  especially if you are.  

   So,  I dug a little deeper. The commentaries agree that these were children of Baal worshipers. Children who had been taught disdain for God. Further, they didn't run into Elisha by accident, nor in a little group.  At least 42 kids got together and followed Elisha through town calling him names.  They  knew who he was and saw him as an enemy to their lifestyle. It wasn't their insult to his lack of hair,  it was the underlying sin that caused Elisha to curse them and God to follow the curse with judgement.  Their hearts were wicked.  
   Always, always,  the behavior is secondary to the condition of the heart.  Looking around me at the behavior of police officers,  mobs in the street,  church congregations, politicians and the news media;  I wonder at the state of the heart.  What do my words and my actions reveal about the condition of my heart?   

   Thinkin' about my behavior today and wonderin' what it said about my heart.  

The Spirit of Pharaoh

  Studying Exodus online with Pastor Jim Cymbala for my daily devotionals.  He’s been talking about the spirit of Pharaoh.  We know the story of Pharaoh and Moses. (See Exodus 7-11) but I’m seeing a new perspective on Pharaoh.    

   In the midst of ten plagues, Pharaoh tells Moses the people can leave, seven times.  Seven times, he says “go” and seven times, he changes his mind. Analysis of this makes me squirm. 

   Every drop of water in Egypt turns to blood and Pharaoh doesn’t even flinch.  Frogs cover the land and he agrees to let the people go if the frogs do.  The frogs go, but the people don’t.  Scripture says, “when Pharaoh saw that relief had come, he became stubborn.”  Here come the gnats.  No response from Pharaoh.  Here come the flies. Again, Pharaoh says “Go” with conditions.  Moses refuses the conditions and Pharaoh gives in, for a minute. 

   The Egyptians and their economy are in trouble.  Egypt is an agricultural state so these plagues are taking a toll.  Now, the livestock are dying and still, Pharaoh remains “stubborn”.  Every Egyptian is covered in boils, including Pharaoh, even so, stubborn.  Next, God sends a hailstorm. This is an affliction I can relate to.  Living in Oklahoma and Colorado, I know firsthand what hail can do to your plants, house and cars. Pharaoh doesn’t even speak to Moses. 

   At this point, Pharaoh’s officials come and say the country is ruined, get these people away from us.  They are killing us!  Pharaoh calls Moses in and says okay, only the men can go.  Such audacity, after bloody water, frogs, gnats, flies, dead cows, painful skin, and hail; this guy still has the guts to argue. Moses says no, and so does Pharaoh.  Enter locusts. Now, Pharaoh “quickly” calls for Moses.  He pleads for forgiveness and the locusts to be eradicated.  Moses prays, locusts gone and Pharaoh refuses again.  The whole land is covered in darkness for three days, pitch black, no one could even move.  Pharaoh tells Moses they can go but can’t take their livestock.  BTW, the only living livestock was Israel’s, Egypt lost all theirs 4 disasters back.  Of course, Moses cannot negotiate with this guy.  He’s got a mandate from God.

  Finally, “. . . the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. . ..  loud wailing was heard through the land of Egypt.  There was not a single house where someone had not died.”  (Exodus 12:29-30 NLT) Pharaoh can’t get the Israelites out of Egypt fast enough. 

   I’ve always focused on the unreasonably obstinate Pharaoh, the guy who just wouldn’t give in.  Today I’m thinkin’ about the Pharaoh who SEVEN times did give in.  Seven times he told Moses to go, but when relief from his trouble came, he changed his mind. 

   I live in a world where the spirit of Pharaoh is alive and well.  People make all manner of promises in the midst of trouble. When trouble abates, those are forgotten or modified.  Remember when your community clapped, hollered or howled for healthcare workers every night?  Remember when the only news was Rona numbers.  Remember when governors did daily news conferences?  Then, when the “models” were wrong, those events died down.  Even we, who proclaim to be God’s people fall back into complacency when things get better.  Like Pharaoh, we make all kinds of promises during a plague and back off our fervency in the relief.  During a crisis, it’s easy to spend time in the Word and in prayer, in desperation for God to act.    

   As we move forward and Rona numbers decrease, our cities reopen and life becomes a little more normal; we dare not embrace the spirit of Pharaoh.  There has never been a crisis in our lifetimes like this one.  Never before have we been so dependent on the God of the Bible.   When we can hug again, have dinner together again, take trips again, join in our houses of worship; let’s remember to keep the promises made in desperate times.  Let’s remember to  acknowledge the God of the plague.

Thinkin’ on that today.  

Give me your Eyes, Lord

    Pastor Herb Cooper of Peoples Church OKC is doing a series on Last Days                               https://peoples.church/series/last-days ) .  I respect and know him to be a man of God and preacher of truth.  This week he started a list of 7 ways the church needs to get ready for the Rapture.  The first one was “Return to your first love.”   Not just love the Lord your God, but also love your neighbor.  In this teaching, he pointed out that we tend to build relationships with people who are like us.  Not just in color, but in interests, in profession, in beliefs.   It’s natural and nothing is wrong with it.  Unless, we neglect to love the neighbor we don’t understand.  He pointed out that when his wife was crying out in childbirth, he didn’t feel any pain; but he appreciated that she was and sympathized.

   I have never had a son die on foreign soil fighting for our country.   However,  I arrived one morning at work to find that Barb’s only son was missing in action in Afghanistan,. My tears mingled with the rest of the faculty.  It never occurred to me to dismiss her pain. 

   I’ve never lost a job and wondered how I could make ends meet.  But, when Susan text me that her husband was out of work and they couldn’t make their mortgage, I responded immediately with prayer and empathy.  It never entered my mind to shrug and roll my eyes. 

   I did not become a widow with young children to raise alone.  But right after I moved here, a young police officer was killed in the line.  I didn’t know that family.  Still, I watched in tears as the young wife, carrying her small child, marched behind the flag-draped coffin of her husband.  I never once thought she was faking pain. 

     However, this week as I watched protesters around the US march through city streets, God forgive me.  I shook my head and rolled my eyes in disgust.  Wah, Wah, Wah.   I write this after repentance.  

   Many, not all, of those peacefully protesting in our streets today are in pain.  I don’t understand it because I have no experience to draw from in that arena.  Just like bad teachers, immoral preachers, racist policemen and corrupt politicians, there are bad people protesting.  But I don’t label all teachers, all preachers, all law enforcement because of those failures. How can I label all protesters?

     I’m watching the protesters today with new vision.  I’m looking for those who are truly hurting from something I do not understand and cannot comprehend.

   With Brandon Heath, I pray today, Oh Lord;  Give me your eyes. Give me your heart. Let me see the way You see.  Help me love my neighbor, especially the one I don’t have anything in common with.  I need, want and must return to my first love.  The love for God and the love for my neighbor. 

Thinkin' today about how Jesus sees.

Welcome to Patmos

   

    So, I’m thinkin’ today about John, the beloved disciple.  The one to whom Jesus entrusted His own mother’s life. John wrote his gospel between 80-95 AD, well after the ascension of Jesus.  He’s very clear that his purpose in this book is that others believe that Jesus is the Christ.  (Bonus Tip:  when an unbeliever asks where to start in the Bible, tell them to read the book of John.  It’s the nutshell book).   A few years later John is living in Ephesus and he pens his three letters to no one in particular.  Scholars believe it was a “circular” letter that circulated among the churches in Asia. Only the third letter was addressed personally to Gaius.   Finally, with all the other disciples dead, John’s testimony and letters get him in trouble with the government.  He is exiled to the Isle of Patmos.  John is a very old man at this point.   He is isolated, cut off from his family, friends and ministry.  Not the way he planned to live out his golden years. 

   Most of us, elderly and the not-so-elderly, are living a 2020 that is not what we planned.  We’ve been exiled to our homes, cut off from the things we enjoy and the people we love to spend time with. Welcome to Patmos.   

   John is alone on an island.  All he can see is water.  He can’t even zoom or text a friend.  There are no drive by celebrations or Netflix.   Our situation is sounding better all the time. 

  Even as John lays back in a hammock, he is not relaxed.  Like us, he’s wondering how he got here.  What he did to deserve this.  In his loneliest moment of isolation, an angel appears.  The angel brings a revelation from God.   THE revelation.  An angel showed up on Patmos, bringing along some parchment and a pen, to give John the end of all our stories. 

   Looking back over the last twelve plus weeks, I’d like to point out I was not exiled on a beautiful island, (yes, I’m still smarting over that Hawaii trip).   I have not had any angelic visitations, (unless you count my grandkids).   However, I have felt the presence of God in my home.  I’ve been able to attend church all over the country via internet.  I’ve read several books by favorite Christian authors.  I’ve taken extra time with God’s Word.  I started really writing this blog.  I have the same amount of time I had before covid 19.  I always invite Jesus into my day.  However, I realized, I invite him to be a part of my already penned to-do list. With no to-do list and a planner full of cancellations, each day really does start fresh.  Jesus doesn’t want to be part of my agenda; He wants to be my agenda.   

Just thinkin’ about that.