OldT Awards, Part 2

I'm back to reflecting on my read through the Old Testament. I am excited to be rounding the books and chapters - right now I'm in Isaiah, and learning new lessons from that book, too!

VIEWERS’ CHOICE: GOD, “THE FAMOUS ONE”
Foreign Nations, to God

You’ve probably heard “Famous One” used to describe God. I hear it most often in worship songs. But before now I did not pay much attention to references to this description of God in the Bible. When God worked miracles to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, such as The Ten Plagues; parting the Red Sea and the pillars of smoke and fire to guide the Israelites as they fled; and later leading them to defeat their enemies in battle - often in instances where they were greatly outnumbered – The God of Israel received a reputation among other nations that inspired fear and awe. These foreign nations “viewed” – firsthand - His greatness.

A comment by one group in particular, the Gibeonites, stands out. Some of their men came to see Joshua, Moses’ successor, after God used him to lead the Israelites to conquer and possess Canaan, The Promised Land. The purpose of their visit was to deceive their neighbor Israel into making a treaty with them to avoid being attacked by Israel. Despite the "ruse" (v.4) by which they visited, the Gibeonites meant the words they said to Joshua about God in Chapter 9: 8-10 of his book:

8 “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua.
But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”
9 They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.

I was so struck by that because I love reflecting on the many attributes of God, often revealed through His names in The Bible. The description of God as "famous" makes me understand His power, greatness and renown. I am filled with so much pride that This God of Israel that so many nations more than buzzed about is my God, too! And even today, Our God shows His awesomeness all over the world, in all creation. Famous!

BEST ADJECTIVE TO DESCRIBE A WAYWARD PEOPLE: “STIFF NECKED”
God, to the Israelites

One of the key aspects of reading through the Old Testament is observing God’s relationship with the Israelites. I have a better understanding of just how much of a heart God has for His people – and us – and just how many chances He kept giving them to change their behavior before they had to face the consequences of their sin.

Before God brought the Israelites into the Promised Land, he gave them laws through Moses. God implored the people to follow all of them carefully, not turning to the right or the left, and said, many, many times, that their obedience would be the key to their lives flourishing. Yet even before all the laws were given, the Israelites had already determined to go their own way. Just a couple sequences where “stiff-necked” is used to describe them:

Sequence 1

When Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments from God in Exodus, God informed him that, down below, the people, believing that he had been gone too long, built a golden calf to be their god:

9 “I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

Sequence 2

Despite their disobedience, God still gave the Israelites the land He promised their forefathers after they spent forty years wandering in the desert as a result of their sin, including their disbelief, until the older generation that had tested God in the desert died there. Not long before their children entered the Promised Land, God reminded the Israelites of their wayward character, describing it using the award-capturing adjectives (Deuteronomy 9: 5-7):

5 It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.

It’s such a great reminder of God’s faithfulness despite our sin, but also that we avoid wandering – and missing out on God’s amazing promises that will be fulfilled anyway, with or without us – when we choose obedience first. Obedience is life!

WORST DISS*: ISRAELITES, TO GOD
*Think middle school in the 90s

Entering The Promised Land after wandering in the desert forty years did not stop the Israelites from choosing death – rather than life – through sin.

As God had predicted through Moses and Joshua, the Israelites chose to follow the foreign gods the other nationalities in their new land worshipped rather than God. Their disobedience started the “Judges” cycle, described in that book of the Bible, that we have probably all heard about: After rebelling against God in spite of His repeated, repeated warnings not to go astray, He punished their sin by having other nations sweep in and attack them. Then, they would cry out to God, and, in His love and compassion, He would bring them judges who delivered them from their enemies. However, once all was well, they would return to their sins – often committing even more than before. After watching them desecrate His laws, He would deliver them into their enemies’ hands again, restarting the cycle.

Near the end of that period, God appointed Samuel (born of his previously barren mother, Hannah, who dedicated his life to God). Samuel served as both a prophet and a judge over the people. However, when Samuel got old and tried to hand leadership of his people over to his sons, who were wayward, the Israelites saw this as an opportunity to get a much desired regime change. They said to Samuel, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have” (I Samuel 8:5).

The Bible says that Samuel was displeased by their request (v. 6), so he prayed to the Lord about it. God said something in response that really struck me:

“Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.” (vv. 7-9)

God knew that having rule by a king, a monarchy, rather than a theocracy, rule by Him, the people would become subjects to the monarch in an oppressive way.

As God instructed, Samuel explained the implications of a rule by a king. Just as had been done by Joshua and Moses, He told Israel that choosing their own path in spite of God’s warnings would not end well. In summing up his advice, Samuel said of the future king and the Israelites: “He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.” (vv. 17-18).

Israel’s Response:

19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”
Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Everyone go back to his town.”

Reading this “Diss” reminded me of something I like to reflect on, lest I forget: God has a heart, too. He desired to lead His people, provide for them, give them all they ever could need, but they rejected Him, the All-Wise God, and chose what they thought was best for themselves - what everyone else had.

Imagine being in God’s position – wanting so much for your people to choose you, knowing that you would provide for them, even miraculously, just as your "fame" had in the past– but being flat out rejected -- and having to see your creations pave a path to unnecessary suffering as a result. That’s what Israel experienced in the years – and pages – that followed – and it’s just like what we do to God when we plead for things that He knows are not the best for us – and often, are not even good.

At times He gives us those wants, just as He did for the Israelites, to help us understand why we should not have had them in the first place. And, as evidenced through the lives of the Israelites, He may allow us to face the consequences of our detrimental wants - but He never stops loving us. This truth highlights still more about God’s character – His heart, and His patience. Throughout the Old Testament, these aspects of His character are repeated. Take Psalm 103: 8-10:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

I pray that through the lessons we learn from reading His Word – including the mistakes that were made, we choose to make Him enough – to trust His no, accept His yes, and experience The Abundant, Full Life that comes with giving Him total devotion. I think the words God gave Israel in Deuteronomy 30: 19 - 20 are so fitting for helping us make decisions His Way:

“…I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life…”

This world already brings with it troubles that are not of our own doing – so let’s trust God that we don’t need to add any more to our short time on this earth! And let’s also thank God for His longsuffering and mercy when we do stray. What a Great God we serve!

The Awards Continue…

THE Man, THE Woman

I’m passing on a sermon series from a church, not my own, that I like to attend when I can. It meets Sunday evenings, and I go more in the summer when I have less obligations. Last summer they had this series called, “It’s Complicated: Sex, Dating, Friendship and Boundaries” that I really enjoyed. However, I missed a later four-week mini-series during "It's Complicated" on the topic of authentic manhood and womanhood. I first listened to it just this week, when I noticed it online after referencing the whole series in conversation. All four messages of the mini-series were powerful, but the ones defining godly young men and women impacted me the most.

Relating to my recent entries on God’s Word, the top characteristic named for both godly men and women was knowledge of, and active obedience to, The Bible. As the pastor discusses, our generation of Christians, as a whole, lacks the understanding of God’s Word to live as fully devoted followers of Christ. We only change that through reading our Word daily out of more than just obligation, studying it in depth, and getting sound doctrinal teaching from our church communities and other resources God has given -- and then living what we learn. I'm excited about the movement of churches that are working to target these deficiencies in our generation in particular, and what God can do through us when, as The Apostle Peter said, we crave the sincere “milk” – spiritual food – that is The Word – and grow as a result!

I also found the series insightful for the individual challenges that were given in separate sermons to men and women. Many characteristics of godly men and women were listed, but a few were focused on for each. The characteristics highlighted for men made me stop and pray for God to grow my brothers in Christ in these areas. The characteristics for women made me evaluate myself, and reminded me of my deep burden to disciple particularly younger women to recognize their true worth in Christ and avoid compromising for “happiness.” All of it comes back to having God’s Word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths.

I am thankful for the promises of God – given in His Word – that are The Power followers of Christ have even at our “lowest” points – and how it is the key to impacting our world. I really encourage you to take some minutes to listen to both challenging messages – they are worth it! Here’s the first part, and the second part, both of which you can stream or download. Or, if you have an iPhone, you can search podcasts for Frontline Messages > Frontline Teaching Team > Download Number 47 – Biblical Manhood & Womanhood, Part 3 and Number 46 – Biblical Womanhood, Part 4. All are free. Also, you can check out the whole, 11-week series by the same methods.

Happy, powerful listening!

thank YOU.

A couple years ago around Easter I bought this CD called “The Wonderful Cross” that has hymns and contemporary worship songs on Calvary. Today, from the CD, I was listening to a rendition of the worship song “Above All” by Rebecca St. James (an awesome, exemplary woman of God and tireless, passionate advocate of purity who just got engaged in January, btw:)). A few lines in the chorus say,

Crucified, laid behind a stone
You lived to die, rejected and alone
Like a rose, trampled on the ground
You took the fall, and thought of me
Above all

At the end of the song Rebecca ad libs, “Thank you for thinking of me.”

Listening today I was more struck by the ad lib than I have been in recent memory. I thought it an understatement— but a wonderful one.

“Thank you for thinking of me” is the kind of thing we usually say in response to someone's act that took a measure of effort - such as getting us a little gift. It’s not often associated with something as big as the God of the Universe sending His only Son as a payment for all my sin – so I can have life forever. That Act of sacrifice – love – is so beyond thoughtful that the adjective doesn’t do it justice. At least in the chorus of "Above All" the statement “and thought of me” is preceded by the words, “You took the fall” – which highlights a little better how grand His death is.

But that also was the beauty of the ad lib "Thank you for thinking of me” –it’s another reminder that, to Our Creator, a thought is more than just something that pops into His head, resulting in merely a neat little token of appreciation. A thought to Him is something big, something huge, something that reaches humanity – an entire world. His Word highlights that His thoughts – including the ones for us, are so beyond what we can imagine. Isaiah 55: 8-9 says,

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Jeremiah 29:11 also says this about the thoughts God has for us:

11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The Greatest Future believers in Christ have is eternity with Him, a reality present only because of The Cross – the result of a thought that had our perilous condition in mind:

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5: 6-8.

I love Good Friday for the special opportunity to reflect on the agony that Christ suffered so that we can live far more abundantly. Because of The Cross, I can love more, give more, serve more – be more than I could ever even think of being on my own.

I’m not sure how much sense these thoughts have made, I’m putting them down after a long day of many relections, but it’s what has meant the most to me during this year's celebration of a Good, Good day.

Thank you for The Cross, My Friend.

The OldT Awards, Preview (The Word, Part 7)

I’m 19 books into my read through the Old Testament, just starting the Psalms. I can honestly say it’s mostly been an exciting, eye-opening experience. I’m getting a clearer, bigger picture of God’s character and heart for His People after seeing the many times He forgave them despite the fact that they kept blatantly disobeying His instructions.

Reading the often colorful accounts involving real-life characters in the early part of the Old Testament, I’ve also felt as though I’ve been through dozens of scripts for Hollywood Blockbusters and Critic’s Choice Films (some of which have actually been adapted for the big screen – take, for example, “The Ten Commandments” with Charlton Heston from the 50s, which retells, with twists, Moses’ biography. As kids my little brother and I saw it so many times because it was one of the few films we could watch. We even did makeshift "performances" of scenes from the film for our mom during more than one summer break, lol.)

Anyway, beginning near the end of Genesis, I found myself scribbling notes about the most memorable stories in the back of my Bible in a fashion that borrows from several Hollywood award shows (think something like The People’s Choice Awards, MTV Movie Awards and The Oscars, combined). Here I’m dubbing them “The OldT” Awards, short for “Old Testament,” of course. The observations are my way of reflecting on my read in a hopefully entertaining way. I’ll probably be sharing them over several entries. Here’s a little preview…

BEST (OR WORST) REVENGE: JACOB's SONS (@ The Shechemites)- Genesis 34

These boys took the phrase “Brother's” – or, more appropriately — “Sister’s” Keeper - quite far.

(A little genealogy for anyone unfamiliar: Abraham, known as “The Father of Many Nations,” had a son named Isaac. Isaac had two sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob later received the name “Israel” after his struggle with God. Through Israel would come the “Israelites,” whose 12 tribes were named for Israel’s, or Jacob’s, sons and grandsons.)

Some of Jacob’s sons would exact revenge for their sister Dinah, who was raped by Shechem, a man from the foreign land Jacob’s family was living in, Canaan. (vv. 2-3). When the brother’s heard, they were filled with both grief and fury (v. 7). After the rape, Shechem’s father went to Jacob to ask for Dinah’s hand in marriage, saying that Shechem loved her. Shechem’s father also suggested that their families intermarry and settle together permanently (vv. 6; 8-10). The Bible says that in response to Shechem’s father’s request, Jacob’s sons deceitfully replied:

"15 We will give our consent to you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males. 16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you. 17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”

The Bible says that the proposal “seemed good” to Shechem and his father, and they had every male from their city circumcised (v. 24). However, Jacob’s sons had other plans:

25 Three days later, while all of [the men] were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male.

They also looted the city, seized all the wealth in it and the women and children. (vv. 27 – 29).

When Jacob learned about Simeon and Levi’s actions, he said to them,
“You have brought trouble on me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.” (v. 30)

Simeon and Levi’s reply?

“Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?” (v. 31)

That’s how the chapter – and story – ends. You judge!

PURITY POSTER BOY (aka "LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD"): JOSEPH

In other entries I’ve discussed my admiration for Jacob’s second-youngest son (who had nothing to do with the shenanigans of his “aforementioned” brothers, who also sold him into slavery, btw), so I won’t rehash. I love the fact that he was upright, successful and good-looking, and knew how to flee temptation – literally. He also knew something about forgiveness and accepting God’s plan for his life, no matter how challenging. An awesome guy, and great role model for today’s Christian Men!

MOST RELUCTANT TO TAKE A GOD-GIVEN ASSIGNMENT (In the early Old Testament): MOSES, Exodus 3
Runner Up: Gideon – Judges 6

We’ve probably all read the story of Moses at the burning bush. At the bush, on Mount Horeb, God called Moses to lead His people out of Israel. He certainly did not jump at the task! The award-winning sequence between God and Moses:

First, Moses asked: “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (v. 11)

God’s reply: “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” (v. 12)

Moses needed a few more questions answered. He probed: “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” (v. 13)

God’s response: “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (v. 14)

The God of the Universe, G-O-D, said He would have Moses’ back, but Moses was not satisfied. Then, God gave Moses more reassuring words – He promised to bring His people out of Egypt to a land flowing with milk and honey (v. 17), that the elders of Israel would listen to him and Pharaoh would not, but God would work miracles to change Pharaoh’s mind (v. 18-19).

Yet Moses persisted in his questioning. Kicking off another round, he asked:“What if [the Israelites] do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘the Lord did not appear to you?’” (Ex. 4: 1)

God replied by giving Moses signs that he could use to show the people: a staff that could turn into a snake (vv. 4-5); a hand that could become leprous, or clean, by taking it in and out of a cloak (vv. 7-8); and the ability to turn water from the Nile River to blood (v. 9).

To those superpowers, Moses replied: “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” (v. 10)

And Jehovah said: “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (v. 12)

Finally, Moses cuts to the chase (i.e., says what he really means): “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” (v. 13)

At that point, God basically said, “this conversation is over,” but still gave Moses a little more ammo to overcome his reluctance:

14 Then the LORD’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it.” (vv. 14-17)

Commentary

I do not give a nod to Moses to single him out as an “unbelieving" soul, but to point out the humor in reading it, and how like us Moses was in responding. We sometimes think that if God gave us “burning bush” or “fleece” signs, we would follow Him more. But, truthfully, if we have an unbelieving heart and intend not to do something He calls us to do, not even fire straight from heaven would be enough to change our minds (and not to mention the fact that we now have the Word of God, full of accounts like this one about the result of ordinary folks like us trying to deflect God’s calling).

Yet God, knowing how we are formed – remembering that we are dust- still meets us where we are in our disbelief and gives us tools to help overcome our doubt. However, at some point we have to make the choice to accept His guidance – or face the consequences. When Moses decided to go along with The God of the Universe, he was used mightily. When he later chose to go his own way out of frustration over his circumstances and struck the rock instead of following God’s instructions, he paid the consequence of not getting to enter the Promised Land. It’s a great reminder to inventory the areas in our lives where God is moving us in a direction yet we are finding every excuse to ignore His lead. In those instances, we’re the one who miss the amazing plans He has for us.

Despite the very reluctant Moses in Exodus 3, his story also is that of a man who had one of the most important “raw materials” that God uses: humility. Number 12:3 states, “(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth).” At several points in his leadership, the Israelites decided it would be a good idea not to listen to the instructions God had given through Moses. In response, God kept vouching for Moses, in the presence of his haters.

On one occasion, also from Numbers 12, his own siblings, Miriam and Aaron, started trash talking Moses out of jealously. God literally came down from heaven to handle that one:

4 At once the LORD said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them came out. 5 Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, 6 he said, “Listen to my words:
“When a prophet of the LORD is among you,
I reveal myself to him in visions,
I speak to him in dreams.
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?”

Our challenge is to, like Moses, humble ourselves in His sight despite our human mess so that He can use us for His glory.

PSA

I am so thankful for The Word of God to guide our paths – and the real-life adventures in its pages that entertain us in the process. It has all the makings of great movies – including an Awesome Writer & Director. His takes always end up with just the right cuts, designed to fill us with hope. All we need to experience them is pick up the masterful pages of that Work we call the Word.

Coming Soon: More Awards…

MEDITATE (His Way) (The Word, Part 6)

Meditation: it’s a word with many meanings.

Celebrities such as Russell Simmons, Tina Turner and Richard Gere have advocated for forms of daily meditation they practice. Simmons in particular has practiced various types over more than a decade, such as transcendental meditation, during which practitioners sit still and silently repeat an assigned Sanskrit word, or mantra, for 15-20 minutes in the morning and evening in efforts to reach a “deeper level of consciousness.” Closing an article praising this and other types of meditation he practices, Simmons called meditation a “path” to overcoming personal suffering and experiencing life as “intended,” which he described as “an ocean of energy, intelligence, and bliss.”

But comparing Simmons’ and other common forms of meditation to biblical meditation, they are at sharp odds. And the stark contrast is another reminder of how God’s Words and ways are so different from our world’s.

BIBLICAL MEDITATION v. POPULAR MEDITATION

Recently, I’ve read, watched and discussed topics that have led me to reflect on the meaning of various popular forms of meditation as compared to biblical meditation.

Many types of meditation are rooted in New Age philosophy, which is commonly accepted in our culture but contradicts Scripture.

In my mind “New Age” is somewhat of an amorphous concept. Although I know some about the philosophy and can identify many of its manifestations, I cannot carefully articulate it neatly in my own words. However, it has been described, (only somewhat neatly:),) as “a non-religious Western spiritual movement that…draw[s] on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and…infus[es] them with influences from self-help and motivational psychology, parapsychology, consciousness research and quantum physics. It aims to create a spirituality without borders or confining dogmas that is inclusive and pluralistic.”(In other words, its an amalgamation of ideas!)

A cornerstone of New Age philosophy is pantheism, the view that “God is in everything and everyone and that everyone and everything is God.” From that perspective, through engaging in various “self help” methods New Age teaching promotes, a higher, enlightened state can be reached – a “god” state. The common idea of being “spiritual but not religious" is often tied to New Age philosophy.

In contrast, Scripture teaches that there is only one God, and Jesus is the only way to Him. Further, believers in Christ are to follow God only and commit themselves to a study of distinct “dogma” – i.e., biblical doctrine, for spiritual growth.

Relating the philosophy to meditation, New Age teaching borrows from Eastern religious meditative practices, such as Buddhism. A major goal of the Buddhism is to put humans on a path to ending personal suffering, physical or mental, by eliminating desire, or craving, which is the “driving force of dissatisfaction” that breeds suffering. When the “craving is dispensed, suffering comes to an end and nirvana…a feeling of bliss and excitement” can be attained. Sean O’Callaghan, “The Compact Guide to World Religions,” pgs. 149, 151. The “Eightfold Path” to ending suffering includes the concepts of “right awareness” and “right concentration,” which call on people to make “right choices,” achieve peace and an increased sense of happiness through meditation. This relates to the feeling of experiencing life as “an ocean of energy, intelligence, and bliss” that Simmons has discussed.

Moreover, popular forms of meditation, also borrowing from Eastern religions such as Buddhism, teach that one gains a “spiritual awareness” from careful concentration of the mind that, in turn, allows the person to see things “as they really are.” In other words, achieving a “higher consciousness” is the impetus for revelation through meditation.

Biblical Meditation

Biblical meditation differs from meditation derived from New Age or other similar philosophies in several important ways.

“Material” Differences

First, the meditation “material” is different. While popular forms of meditation generally require a person to focus on a particular word, phrase or object, biblical meditation has far more material on which to focus. In the NIV (©1984), there are 16 references to the word “meditate.” Every single one describes meditation as focusing on aspects of God’s character, works, Word, or ways. Further, most of the references speak to meditating on His “statutes,” “laws” or “decrees,” meaning His Word. Some examples:

Joshua 1:8
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Psalm 1: 1-2
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 119: 15
I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

Psalm 48: 9
Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.

Psalm 77: 12
I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

(The 16 uses of the word “meditate” in the NIV (©1984), all found in the Old Testament, are linked here)

“Method” Differences

Also, the method of biblical meditation is different. The Bible does not prescribe a specific “formula” or object for meditating on His Word – in fact, we are told to do it day and night – any and everywhere! We can be in a quiet place reading His Word, or we can memorize it, in public or private; reflect on it in prayer, spoken or written; listen to it through a song or a message. When we ingest it in several ways, all day long, we learn to set our minds on things above rather than earthly things, and to think excellent, praiseworthy things.

“Revelation” Differences

Further, the “revelation” is also different. Popular meditation puts power in the exercise of meditation itself as a means of reaching a “higher consciousness” and gaining so-called revelation. By contrast, God has put Revelation in His Word, which is revealed to us as we read and memorize it in our present consciousness. Also, there is no “power” of revelation transferred by saying, or repeating, a particular word or phrase in the Bible as an "exercise" or "chant," or any “magic” from merely picking it up. Rather, when we meditate on God’s Word, we do it to understand, in our present consciousness, what God has said in it. In turn, His Spirit shows us how to apply it to our lives.

“Goal” Differences

Additionally, the goal is different. The objective of most non-biblical methods of meditation tends to be achieving things such as relaxation or calmness, happiness (i.e., “overcoming” suffering), or being more “balanced” or “centered.”

However, as God’s Word teaches, as Christians our goal in life should not be calmness; happiness or the sort of “balance” spoken of (however defined), but, instead, to bring God glory. The Bible also teaches that through suffering God’s glory is often revealed. The Apostle Paul, who suffered for preaching the Gospel to the ends of the earth, said that his personal suffering helped him fellowship with – understand – Christ better; experience God’s power in his own weakness; know His character more and live as an example for others.

Further, Jesus said that victory over suffering comes from Him. As He counseled His disciples on how to live, He said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Jesus was victorious over the ultimate suffering for us – no meditation “exercise” can do what He did! And because of what He did on the cross, He gives us the strength to handle any situation in life, no matter how difficult.

Moreover, when we meditate on His Word, we are able to make the right decisions by following His guidance that if we seek Him first, His kingdom and righteousness, He will help us through every other aspect of our lives. That’s incomparably greater than what any “balance” or “centering” activity can achieve!

OUR RESPONSE

What should a Christian’s response be to non-biblical forms of meditation? I believe the Bible is clear that Christians have to be extremely careful what ideas or practices we follow, and that we are not to subscribe to any that contradict Scripture. Because most, if not all, forms of non-biblical meditation are done for the explicit purpose of achieving some form of “enlightenment” as defined by religions and philosophies that contradict Scripture, we should avoid them.

From the Word

Scripture teaches that anything that contradicts God cannot stand with God. Right now I‘m seeing this truth exemplified in my read through the Old Testament. After entering the Promised Land, the Israelites disobeyed God by worshipping other gods, baals, that the Lord had commanded them not to worship. Yet they also claimed to be worshipping God at the same time. God used the prophet Elijah at Mount Carmel to show the Israelites the error in their ways. Before a showdown between God and the Baals after a three-year drought in Israel, Elijah challenged the Israelites about their bifurcated “worship”. In I Kings 18:21, he asked, pointedly:

“How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

My commentary says this about the verse: “Elijah stood before them and challenged them to end their double-mindedness, wavering between two opinions. It was not good to try to ‘walk the fence’ worshipping two gods. Apparently the Israelites thought that if Yahweh [God] let them down they could turn to Baal, and vice versa. Elijah was saying that if One is the true God and the other false they should follow the true One wholeheartedly and forget about the impotent impostor.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 526.

I love the description of worshipping God and other gods as “waver[ing] between two opinions.” In our context, as we often hear, an idol is anything we place before God. But, as described in I Kings, it is also anything we subscribe to that presents a different “opinion” that contradicts God. Many common forms of meditation, including New Age, present positions that are at odds with Scripture, as described by comparing New Age philosophy to biblical theology; common forms of meditation to biblical meditation. Scripture is clear that we must choose one – or the other – we cannot be in between.

We may be tempted to think that activities such as non-biblical meditation rooted in philosophies conflicting scripture “enhance” our lives, as the Israelites thought a different “opinion” could for them. But if we want our spiritual growth as followers of Christ to flourish, we have to choose God alone and reject anything rooted in a contradictory philosophy.

In the New Testament The Apostle Paul also explains how we are to get our “fullness” – all we need in life – from God. He tells the Church of Colosse these very relevant words:

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. NIV © 2011; Colossians 3:6-10.

I think verse eight is especially key (i.e., “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ”). It sounds a lot like the purpose of New Age philosophy and its attempt to reach some “spiritual” height or dimension while rejecting Christ. God’s Word is clear that Christ has all the spiritual fullness we need – and more!

NAVIGATING

Is it wrong for Christians to learn about different philosophies or religions that contradict scripture? I would say no– I believe that, as long as a Christian has a solid understanding of Scripture and is meditating on The Word daily, knowing about other ideas can actually help us understand and reach our world for Christ better. However, as Scripture points out, we are not to practice ideas or philosophies that oppose Christ.

Today, common forms of meditation rooted in New Age philosophy and other ideas contradicting Scripture have seeped into our culture through areas such as media, physical activity, counseling– it’s everywhere. As Christians, we need to have the discernment to recognize what we should stay away from. We only gain that wisdom through studying God’s Word. Romans 12:1-2 tells us not to be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by renewing our minds. Our minds are renewed by meditating on Scripture, which helps us know what His good, acceptable, pleasing, and perfect will is. Let’s meditate on God’s Word, night and day – and not get taken by hollow and deceptive philosophy.

Fighting Skills

Yesterday at church we heard our last “Quest” Series message. The final sermon, and Stage, is called “The Land of Love” – the place where God provides a mate. Despite the whimsical-sounding title, the theme of the message is that the “Land of Love” that so many of us pray to reach is actually the Land of Conflict, and couples must learn to deal with conflict in a healthy way.

We discussed that how we approach conflict outside marriage is how we will deal with it in marriage. We addressed the often unhealthy ways we respond to conflict. For example, some of us attack others in conflict, while others retreat, disengaging from communication. Poor ways of dealing with conflict only intensify in marriage.

We talked about the solution to conquering conflict in marriage being the willingness to fight for love. The fighting “tools” were presented as Ephesians 6:10-18, which talks about putting on the full armor of God in order to withstand the devil’s schemes – including marital conflict. Relevant to my recent entries on God’s Word, verse 17 calls us to put on the “Sword of the Spirit,” which is the Word of God. We are to study it, individually and corporately, and apply it to our lives.

I really benefited from the message. It was such a good reminder that preparation for marriage, if that is what God has for us, begins not at engagement but during singleness. It’s is a time to work on changing the negative aspects of our characters that threaten the ability to have God-honoring marriages. In the context of God’s Word, as Hebrews 4:12 points out, God’s Word judges even our deepest thoughts and intentions. When we are responsive to God revealing even our most painful shortcomings through His Word and other means – we see our characters improve, and we become more like Him. In turn, we are able to do a better job of loving not only our mates, but also others.

Despite a world where marriages often do not last, I believe that God deeply desires for many of His people to enter marriages that buck current trends and make bold statements for Him. He’s looking for those of us who don’t see marriage as a key to personal happiness, but chance to bring Him glory. And those servants have to be fighters.

Here’s a link to the message -- it is truly worth the listen (also available for free with iTunes: Search Podcasts for “the bridge podcast,” click “The Bridge DC,” and download “The Land of Love”)!

Interlude: The Quest

I know right now I’m talking about God’s Word, but I want to pause for a moment to pass on this great series we’ve been doing at church called “The Quest: The Five Stages on The Road to Romance.”

The Quest is a look at the different romantic interactions – or lack of them – that we have before marriage, if that is what God ultimately has for us. I’m passing it on because I think it’s part of living purity as a single person that often is not addressed much in church, yet what we do in these stages is vital to living our calling in Christ, married or single.

The main series passage is Deuteronomy 2, which occurs shortly before the Israelites are about to enter The Promised Land after leaving Egypt and wandering in the desert for almost 40 years. In order for them to enter the Land, they had to follow God’s instructions carefully despite their anxiousness to just reach it. The messages that we’ve had so far:

Message 1 - The Mountain of Acceptance
Message 2 - Relational Compromise (Pit Stop)
Message 3 - The Plateau of Comfort/The Desert of Spectatorship
Message 4 - The Valley of One
Message 5 - Coming the Week of 3/20

Here’s a link to the messages online. Or, if you have iTunes, you can search Podcasts for “the bridge podcast,” click “The Bridge DC,” and download the “Quest” Messages. All are free.

Wherever we are in life – including in our singleness, we are to use every moment for Him. Ephesians 5: 15-16 says,

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

If we seek His face at every point in our journey, we learn to live the abundant life that Jesus died to give us. As we walk as He did, we gain something valuable each day to navigate life right where we are.

Happy listening!

Our God (The Word, Part 5)

I’ve begun my read through the Old Testament. Right now I’m in Numbers and have been so blessed by reading each Book so far.

As I mentioned last entry, when I tried to read through the Bible growing up I always got stuck on Leviticus or Numbers – it was hard for me to digest all the laws that seemed to have no relevance to me. But this time, reading through parts of Exodus, Leviticus and now Numbers has really made me meditate on God’s greatness.

Laws

The Leviticus I once dreaded actually has had the most impact on me so far. In it God gave the Israelites laws to follow. He explains how they were to present offerings of all kinds, such as for sin, fellowship and food. They also were given laws about topics such as hygiene, diseases and childbirth.

One area that stood out was the laws for presenting a sin offering. For example, God gave the following directions to the Israelites on making restitution when the whole community sinned:

13 “‘If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, they are guilty. 14 When they become aware of the sin they committed, the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the Tent of Meeting. 15 The elders of the community are to lay their hands on the bull’s head before the LORD, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the LORD. 16 Then the anointed priest is to take some of the bull’s blood into the Tent of Meeting. 17 He shall dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it before the LORD seven times in front of the curtain. 18 He is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 19 He shall remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar, 20 and do with this bull just as he did with the bull for the sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. 21 Then he shall take the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull. This is the sin offering for the community.

As the passage points out, blood was the key to an acceptable sacrifice.

Another area that struck me was punishments God gave people for breaking His laws. There are accounts of Moses and other leaders in the community taking lawbreakers into custody to ask God what the punishment should be. One story in Leviticus 24 is about the punishment that God prescribed for someone who had cursed His name, against the law:

A Blasphemer Stoned
10 Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. 11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse; so they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.) 12 They put him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them.
13 Then the LORD said to Moses: 14 “Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. 15 Say to the Israelites: ‘If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; 16 anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death. (v. 10-17)

The sacrifices – and examples of the sins for which they atoned – were a reminder to me of just how detestable sin is to God. Before He sent His Son, in order for us to be in a right place with Him, He had to institute some kind of payment for wrongdoing to cover the sin. For whatever reason God, in His omniscience, chose blood as that payment. In the Old Testament, that blood was shed by an animal in the form of a sin offering. And sometimes, people had to die on the spot for their sins. Either way, the wages for sin was death. But when Jesus came to earth and gave His own life -- His blood – as a payment, we were now able to be reconciled with Him without presenting our own sacrifice; through receiving Him, we are forgiven! (See Hebrews 9: 22 -26)

Splendor

Another lesson I’ve learned from reading the Old Testament so far is the fact that God is just so beyond us – His glory incomparable.
There’s a passage in Exodus where Moses asks God to show him His glory as a way of giving Moses credibility with the people as God’s chosen leader of Israel. (Exodus 33:15-16). God, stating that He was pleased with Moses, agreed to show Moses His glory. He said: “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence.” (v. 19). Yet God said there was a limit:
But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” (v. 20)

He also gave Moses further instructions for the encounter:

21 Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

The Bible also says that after speaking with God on another occasion Moses’ face was so radiant that when he went back to the Israelites, they were afraid of him. The Bible also says that Moses was “unaware” of how radiant his face was. (Exodus 34: 29). He even had to put a veil over it that he took off only when he went back to speak with God (v. 33-35).

Reading this account this time really reminded me of just how above our understanding God is. Moses, in his human innocence, could not fathom how great even being in God’s presence is. Today we use the phrase “you can’t see me” as a way of often good-naturedly pointing out that someone else is not on our level. But God said to Moses, literally, “you cannot see ME” and still live. Even at our best, none of our presences are beyond anyone’s sight. But that’s how great God Is!

His Word

Considering Exodus and Leviticus, I’m reminded of just how important it is to study God’s Word as a way of understanding His character, rather than allowing our perceptions of Him to be shaped by others’ opinions that may not square with Scripture. Today even as Christians at times we have a hard time reconciling the “God of the Old Testament” with the God that we have a relationship with today. But the Word of God says He is the same yesterday, today –Forever. He may not always choose to treat us as our sins deserve, but everything He does is within the character He has always had.

From His Word we learn that He is loving – He gave His Son as a payment for our sins – but He also is a holy God that cannot even be seen by us in His glorious form. That also means that there is no way He can perceive things just as we do, or condone or love everything we do. When we read His Word, we are able to know what He asks of us, and, in turn, make the choice to live more like Him despite direction we may get from others that is contrary to His ways.

More

I cannot get over the fact that every time we open up The Word, The God of The Universe speaks directly to us. We don’t need to wait for writing on a wall, a ball of fire from heaven, or even a message from someone else about what He said to them. He’s given us His very words in one amazing book that we can read freely, by ourselves. That’s pretty awesome.

NEW THRU 30 (The Word, Part 4)

Have you ever completed one of those “Read the Bible in One Year” Programs – or at least tried?

I fall in the “tried” category. Growing up I made several attempts to finish a reading plan – each of them haphazard. They all went something like this:

In January, my older brother would ask if us siblings wanted to attempt a reading plan individually, often after some sort of “Kids-this-will-be-a-super-fun-challenge” rollout at our church or Christian school (e.g., “Get Excited! We’re gonna read the whole B-i-b-l-e in O-n-e Y-e-a-r! Readers get free pizza and ice cream!) Never saying no to a challenge – and a seemingly cool one that also involved the favored food groups – I’d agree to join in.

It always went downhill for me early on – like Numbers or Leviticus early (by contrast, my older brother always made it much farther, and I believe he’s completed a plan before). While the programs did not usually go in Book-of-the-Bible order the entire year, from what I remember they did for at least the first five Books.

For me reading the first couple Books about creation, The Fall, Flood and the Exodus from Egypt inspired story-book wonder, but the following parts about genealogies and laws on foods and sacrifices were a tough sell as a kid. I’d get bored, or behind, take one look at the long, 300-odd days still left to read and feel too far back to catch up.

My Turn?

The last time I remember attempting to complete a “thru-the-Bible-in-one-year” read was about 10th grade. Since then it has always been on my list of things to do sometime – at least before I die, but I had made no attempt to actually put the goal in motion. If it was ever mentioned, in a sermon, for example, I’d make one of those half-hearted comments to myself, such as “yeah, I need to do that,” but make no plans to actually complete it.

Then late last year I listened to a sermon challenging a congregation that the Bible could be read in a short period of time – in as little as about 80 hours (e.g., 8 hours a day for two work weeks sitting in a cubicle at an uneventful job) – or as long as one year (about 3.5 chapters daily). It was pointed out that we often clamor about how difficult the Bible is to understand – yet we never really just start digging into it, instead settling for a verse or two from a daily devotional. By contrast, we freely dive into books such as novels. A subsequent message involved testimonies from people who took the challenge and read the Bible in about 80 hours over a couple weeks, or were on their way to doing so.

That sermon charge really resonated with me, but it still did not quite spur me to action (i.e., I heard, but I didn't do, so I didn't hear). However, that also was about the time that God had been convicting me about the need to get deeper into His Word again through Scripture memory, and I responded the first week of this year by starting a memory plan.

God has an awesome way of showing us things when we seek Him. Just when I finally took a step to dig deeper into His Word, at church we started a doctrinal series on the importance of Scripture called "New Thru 30." But New Thru Thirty was not just a sermon series, but also a church-wide challenge to read the New Testament together in 30 days!

New in Thirty

Under the "New Thru 30" Plan, developed by Elevation Church, you read about 13 chapters of the New Testament Monday through Friday, for one month, and get Saturday and Sunday as Grace Days to catch up –or read ahead.

The program started with Matthew, then went to Acts, then back and forth between another Gospel (Mark, Luke, or John) and an Epistle (or letters to early churches, Romans – Jude), then finished the Epistles before ending with Revelation (which also means “Apocalyptic” literature, on the end times in the future).

This time, I took the challenge seriously. I read everywhere – in my room when I woke up; on the Metro to and from work; in my office when I had a lull at work; at the park in the afternoon on a weekend if I wanted to catch up or read ahead; on the dining room table at the end of the day before I turned on the TV (knowing full well that once I did, I would not finish the reading – which happened a couple days!). We finished the plan last week.

Early Lessons

Throughout the process I learned some things about reading the Bible at that pace. When I first started I was concerned with making sure I understood every word I was reading, and kept my commentary with me at all times. However, I learned quickly that a verse I may not have initially understood was often clarified as I continued reading. Also, I learned that in a 30-day read understanding every word is not as important as getting the big picture – which ends up making a lot of sense (although I did use my commentary more heavily in a couple books --Hebrews and Revelation). More useful than a commentary in this context was a study Bible, which provided an overview of each Book, its author, audience and context, before reading.

Take Home

Reading the full New Testament provided a clearer snapshot of Redemption than I typically get from studying just a few verses, or even a Book, of the New Testament.

Grasping the Gospels

One big takeaway was gaining a greater appreciation for how each of the Gospels were written through different lenses, but all tell the same story.

In my family we've had this tradition almost every Christmas of each taking one of the Gospels to read individually and discuss together. However, over the years my siblings and I had pretty much reduced the Gospels to descriptions based on size for reference when dividing the reading as a family: Matthew is "the longest one" (i.e., don’t take that one if you don’t have time to read a lot, or take it if you want the challenge); Mark the short one (not fair to take that one every year); Luke the other one almost as long as Matthew, but more exciting; John being neither the shortest nor one of the longest, and generally "a-o-kay" (I remember rarely ending up with that book, if ever).

During my read of all the Gospels this time, however, I saw them as holding greater distinctions that were unrelated to the number of chapters in each.

For example, I was reminded of how Matthew emphasized Jesus' life as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, while Mark, a more fast-paced account, focused on personal encounters with, and acts of, Jesus during His ministry that really describe His humanity. I also was similarly struck by the personal encounters in Luke, as in the past.

Additionally, I gained a greater understanding of John as distinct from the other Gospels but still fitting in with the collective story. The Book struck me as the one with the most insight into the author’s personal experiences with Jesus. It also provided some details about Jesus’ ministry that the others did not. I love the way it ends:

"This is the disciple who testifies to those things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21: 24-25).

After reading the whole book, culminating in that ending, I could not help but write “AWESOME!” in the margin. It reminded me of what wonderful things believers in Christ have to look forward to in heaven, in the presence of Jesus – greater than any this life can offer!

Fancying Faith

I also was reminded about the power of faith in God, and how through it so many in the New Testament were saved. There were ordinary people who had so much faith in Jesus’ power to heal them of their diseases that they knew just touching the hem of His garment or having Him say the word was all they needed to be well - and their faith healed them. Jesus also told His disciples many times that with faith they could do the miraculous. It was such a reminder that we are justified through faith alone- without faith it is impossible to please God; faith makes us righteous. I also was reminded to trust God with all of my life – and others’ too!

Honing in on Hebrews

Another victory was comprehending Hebrews. A few years ago I set out to read the Book cold, without a study guide, thinking it would be great because of several key verses I knew in it that had long resonated with me. However, I had stopped reading when I realized there were a lot of metaphors that I was not comprehending. I found a study companion on the Book but never did it.

This time I understood more clearly that it was written to Jewish Christians who were struggling to hold onto their faith amidst persecution, and had a commentary to translate the use of some metaphors rooted in the Mosaic, Old Testament Law. It also reinforced again the fact that when God’s Word was written, He, speaking through the authors, penned a book that was relevant to the immediate readers, yet also us today.

Paul, Peter and Prophecy

The reading also reinforced my study for the last couple years in Acts and several of the Pauline Epistles (Romans – Philemon). What struck me reading them here, however, was seeing them as fulfillment of Jesus’ words in the Gospels -- first reading of Jesus’ promise while on earth to send a Counselor, the Holy Spirit, the powerful arrival of His Spirit, and fulfillment of Jesus’ prediction that His disciples would do even greater things than he did while on earth, such as how God used Peter during the formation of the early church.

I also got a sharper picture of the Apostle Paul’s awesome story of radical transformation and devotion to God through intense persecution – first reading his conversion and trials and triumphs in spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles, chronicled in Acts, and then using that context to get a clearer understanding of the events surrounding the letters he wrote to churches during his ministry. I was even more deeply moved by His dedication to the Gospel, and his testimony through suffering, particularly these words from prison in 2 Timothy 2 (among others):

"8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory."

What an example!

Thoughts on Theology

The Read also reinforced recent study I had done on theological variances regarding issues such as worship; food; drink and dress. Seeing those and other issues from the vantage point of the reoccurring theme of grace from Matthew to Revelation really put them in sharper perspective. It also reinforced the importance of studying God’s Word not only for sifting through the myriad of teachings in our world, but also to live out the practical command of love that binds all other virtues we can express in perfect unity.

Finding a Favorite

Finally, I developed a new New Testament crush (yes, I am serious!). I’ve written about my Old Testament ones – David; Joseph and Daniel, but did not have a New Testament equivalent (although I have deep admiration for the Apostle Paul, but in a different sense, lol).

The new guy? Timothy, Paul’s protégé. Reading this time around I got a much better sense of his personality, and I like it! As I’ve mentioned, I appreciate how he knew Old Testament Scriptures from infancy that made him wise unto salvation through Christ, followed God from youth and had a good reputation. Paul thought Timothy’s walk with God was strong enough that he could be tasked with pastoring the church of Ephesus at a young age. He was instructed, and could be trusted, to treat all of his congregation with godliness - including the young ladies (I like a man who can stand up to temptation!). Paul referred to him as a “dear son” in the faith (2 Timothy 1:2; Phil. 2:22). We also see that Timothy was sincere in his faith and had a deep heart for ministry, as Paul witnessed.

Tidbits also indicate that he avoided trying to come close to crossing the line into any activity that had the potential to hurt his witness. In 1 Timothy 5, in the midst of advice from Paul about matters related to widows, elders and slaves in the church, he tells Timothy: “Do not be hasty in the laying of hands. And do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.” (1 Timothy 5: 22). In the next verse he says something I do not remember noticing before: “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illness.” (v. 23). My commentary explained:

"This verse may be only a somewhat disjointed bit of personal advice to Timothy or it may flow naturally from the reference to purity in verse 22. Perhaps Timothy was inclined to an asceticism that may have associated purity with total abstention, which in turn led in Timothy’s case to stomach ailments and frequent illnesses, perhaps due to the poor quality of water he drank. Paul thus qualified his exhortation of purity by encouraging Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach’s sake, because of frequent illness. This instruction applies only to using wine for medicinal purposes, of course, and therefore contributes little or nothing to either side of the debate over the use of wine as a beverage.” [In other words, any discussion about Christians’ varying view on alcohol is reserved for another time!]

David C. Cook. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. p. 760. © 1989.

Although the meaning of Paul’s instruction to Timothy here requires some conjecture, I found it interesting that Paul even had to give it to Timothy at all. Judging from the other characteristics about Timothy in the Bible, such as his knowledge of Scripture and his devotion to Christ – it appears this is another indication that even as a youth he watched his conduct closely, really trying to live out His faith and set a good example – despite the fact that he may have still been navigating exactly what that looked like. And that desire to please Him is part of the “raw material” that God uses to mold us into warriors for Him – another admirable characteristic of this young man.

Additionally, it seems that Timothy may have had to be encouraged to overcome some personal fears in order to step fully into his role as a pastor. Paul reminded Timothy: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7). Again, the reason for the admonition is open for some speculation, but whatever way it was advice that Timothy needed to face challenges that he may have wanted to run from otherwise (great advice for our lives as well)! I think it would have been awesome to see Timothy grow into an even greater man of God over the years (and perhaps we shall meet in heaven -- will have to look up if there is theological basis - or speculation -- for that wish)!

Next Steps

I’ve decided not to stop with the New Testament, but continue reading the Old, too. While Part 2 of the Bible gave me a snapshot of Redemption, it's not the whole picture. I have found a plan to read the whole Bible in 90 days. Since 30 days and 27 books are under my belt, shortly I’ll begin reading the other 39 Books of the Old Testament over 60 days. Finally I will stop talking about reading the whole Bible – I will actually do it! I also hope to be intentional about doing a one-year plan later as well – in light of my New Testament read, the 3.5 chapters per day no longer seems as daunting.

If you have never read through the New Testament – or the whole Bible – there's no time to consider doing it like the present (or you can do it again – in some other way)! YouVersion.com has dozens of plans to choose from, at different paces (including the Elevation “New Thru 30” Plan).

Why Read?

Every word of a read through the Bible most likely will not be riveting, but there’s more to reading than momentary measure: there’s a power in digging into God’s Word that increases our faith over time. First Peter 2:2 says, “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (NKJV). God’s Word is His primary way of communicating with us. And we can only learn more about loving and living like Him if we get to sipping.

NIV Makeover (The Word, Part 3)

Something strange happened about a month ago when I looked up a familiar Bible passage online in the New International Version.

I was on BibleGateway.Com, the popular Bible resource site with text of the Bible in many languages and versions, trying to link Psalm 119:9-11, one of my oft-quoted passages, to a blog entry. When I selected what I thought was the NIV, I noticed the first part of verse 9 read, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity?”

That’s funny, I thought to myself. Unless I had forgotten, I had always known the NIV to read, “How can a young man keep his way pure?” [emphasis added]

Just to make sure, I pulled out a hard copy of the NIV Bible. Sure enough, it said, “How can a young man keep his way pure?”

Then, I went back to the unfamiliar online translation I had read and wondered whether I had pulled up the TNIV (Today’s New International Version, an update of the NIV published © 2001, 2005 that was translated in more contemporary English language, one of the features eliminating male-only pronouns and adopting gender-neutral ones in many contexts). But when I clicked on the version choices, I confirmed that I had not selected the TNIV.

Am I mad? I asked myself, for just a moment.

I wasn’t - just uninformed. In case you too missed the buzz, the New International Version is getting an update.

NIV, Copyright 2011

Apparently, it’s been in the works for some time. The revisions were announced in September 2009. The Committee on Bible Translation (CBT), translators of the NIV, decided that as a result of growing knowledge about translating the original biblical texts into English and changing modern usage in the English language, there is a need to revamp the NIV to reflect those changes. In the CBT’s words (released by Biblica, formerly the International Bible Society, which publishes the NIV):

From its inception in the 1960’s, the team behind the NIV has recognized that Bible translation is a never-finished work. As more and more information becomes available about the biblical world and biblical languages, and as English usage develops and changes, the NIV also needs to change to maintain and strengthen its focus on transparency to the original text and ease of understanding for readers. Under the terms of the NIV charter, the CBT meets every year to monitor these changes and to reflect them in periodic updates to the text. The 2011 update is the latest fruit of this process.

Biblica has a timeline for rolling out the updated version. In November 2010 it was first made available for public viewing on BibleGateway and Biblica.com. The first printed versions are set to be released for retail in March.

After release, the current version of the NIV © 1984 (the first printing, of just the New Testament was in 1973; revisions were made and the complete NIV first printed in 1978), will no longer be printed and will be phased out of the marketplace (old, unsold 1984 copies will be donated to needy churches and ministries). Additionally, the newer TNIV will no longer be printed. The process of switching over to NIV © 2011 is expected to take about 2 years.

What’s Changing?

If you ask the translators, they’d say on the whole, not much. Ninety-five percent of the words in the NIV © 2011 will be the same as in the current version.

But there are marked differences. Perhaps the most controversial is the addition of gender-neutral pronouns in many contexts, as in the TNIV (although the NIV translators, the CBT, did not adopt the gender pronoun changes in the TNIV wholesale – in some cases, the pronoun changes were entirely new renderings than the existing NIV or the TNIV).

To the question of whether the goal of the changes was to make the NIV more “gender inclusive,” the CBT responds:

"The CBT’s mandate under the NIV charter is to maintain the NIV as an articulation of God’s unchanging Word in contemporary English. To the extent that gender inclusive language is an established part of contemporary English and that its use enhances comprehension for readers, it clearly was an important factor in decisions made by the translators…In addition, particular attention was paid to external feedback in the area of gender language…”

The CBT maintains that none of the changes relate to describing God:

“Nowhere in the updated NIV® (nor in the TNIV®, nor in any of the committee discussions leading up to either version) is there even the remotest hint of any inclusive language for God. The revisions solely surround inclusive language for mankind.” [emphasis in original] (See Q&A, “What was decided about inclusive language?”)

A few other examples of changes in NIV ’11:

“Forefather” to “Ancestor”: The term forefather, used in the 1984 version, is believed to have all but “disappeared” from the English language, in favor of the term “ancestor,” which the NIV 2011 adopts in most cases “unless a specific, limited reference to the patriarchs or to another all-male group is intended.” [emphasis in original] [law school folks: sounds like statutory construction:)]

“Saints” to “Lord’s Holy People…”: The term "Saints" is now often translated as "God's people," "the Lord's people," or "the Lord's holy people," to highlight that the meaning of the term in the original text often refers to all believers and is not necessarily a “good person” as the term “saint” in modern day commonly connotes.

Changing “Jews” to “Jewish Leaders”: In some places in the New Testament, most prominently in the Gospel of John, the use of “Jews” has been retranslated as “Jewish leaders” or other similar language to reflect that rejection of Jesus in those contexts was from Jewish leaders and not Jews generally.

For more information about the changes, including more examples, visit “What Improvements Have Been Made?”)

Note About the Inerrancy of Scripture

Before I comment on the changes, it is important to note that I believe firmly in the inerrancy of Scripture. But translating the Bible from its original text to any other language – including English – cannot necessarily render every single word exactly as in the original language (not to be overly technical, but I say “necessarily” because of my lack of knowledge of what circumstances, if any, a translation could allow every single word to be rendered exactly as intended in the original. An educated guess says none, but I do not want to guess here!) . However, this does not discredit the doctrine of the inerrancy of Scripture as the being God’s literal, breathed words – that teaching rests on the infallibility of the original text itself. However, that is a more fundamental topic that I have no intention – or preparation – to cover here. For a basic understanding of the doctrine of “inspiration, inerrancy and infallibility” of scripture, and how it relates to Bible translation, click this link.

(Initial) Pros

Regarding the new NIV, on one hand my initial thought is that I appreciate the Committee on Bible Translation (CBT)’s commitment to rendering God’s Word as understandable and accessible to as many people as possible, and believe that this update could certainly help the cause.

I also think Christians – especially longtime ones – have a tendency to get riled up over changes such as the ones in the new NIV just for the sake of keeping things the way we have always known them and not “pandering” to society – leaving things “traditional,” you might say. We often have this sense that things are more “holy” – or even more biblical – because they are older. But the Bible does not command us to preserve all “older” traditions – in fact, the New Testament, while fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, also was a break from tradition– radical, countercultural – just like the life that we are called to as Christians even today.

Further, the NIV itself is not a “traditional” translation. The current NIV © 1984, the most popular English translation for the last 20 years, has endured substantial controversy, particularly when it first came out, in New Testament only, less than 40 years ago. Some called the translation inaccurate – sometimes even heretical – as compared to the time-honored King James Version. And this opposition persists in some circles today. In short, the NIV © 1984 that is the most popular English translation is only 26 years old, and the intention of that translation has been stated as the same as the © 2011 version today.

Further, when the Bible was first written, it was in the common language of people at that time. Translating the Bible in a way that makes it more accessible in our language can be consistent with the context under which the Bible was written – another reason not to automatically write off the new NIV.

Cause for Pause (Cons?)

At the same time, personally, I am not ready to decide how I will use the new NIV, particularly if it will be my primary text. As followers of Christ, we have a responsibility to devote ourselves to a clear understanding of Scripture and to study it for ourselves. One way we can do so in this context is to make an effort to understand how the changes to the New NIV were made in translation, comparing other translations and sources as necessary, and be open to how God may speak to us in the process.

In particular, gaining a deeper understanding of the different Bible translations and allowing it to influence which translation(s) we use could easily make a list of top ten fascinating and worthwhile things we should do but probably haven’t. In light of the changes to the NIV, however, it’s a timely pursuit.

My Story

Until fairly recently, I did not give much thought to the different translations – for the most part I just went with what was standard around me or what was given to me. And it varied. All told, growing up at some point I used five different versions, either for study or memorization: KJV, NKJV, NIV, NASB and the New Century Version – although at most points the NIV has been my primary version.

I do not remember paying close attention to the different translations in personal study until my first year of law school, when I went looking for a pocket Bible that I could carry on the Metro with big, heavy legal books. My Bible, then NIV, was standard-sized and too big to lug around.

The only discount pocket bible I could find was an NKJV – it was just $5. Since I already knew some verses in NKJV and liked it alright, I went with it (and, again, it was $5 - a mighty fine price on my law student budget!).

For a while I enjoyed using the NKJV as my primary text, although I would still use the NIV online or at home. About a year later, however, after finding myself comparing the NIV and NKJV more, and noticing the NIV to resonate more with me, I went back to using the NIV primarily.

Digging Deeper

The experience made me focus more on the different translations. I recalled lessons growing up that the KJV was a more “literal” translation than the NIV, but beyond that tidbit I did not remember much else about how Bible translations I had used differed. I decided to research. And what I read fascinated me. A rough, lay person’s overview, or refresher:

Methods of Bible Translation

Generally, the original Old and New Testaments were written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. There are two main approaches to biblical translation: Formal Equivalence and Dynamic (or Functional) Equivalence.

“Formal Equivalence” is often called “word for word” translation because it involves trying to match each word in the original language with a corresponding word in the language of translation. (e.g., if the word being translated is “book,” a translator would look for the word meaning “book” in the text being translated, doing the same for each individual word). The rationale for formal equivalence in biblical translation is that it most accurately conveys the literal meaning of all words as intended in the original texts, minimizing personal interpretation.

Examples
King James Version
New King James Version
New American Standard Bible (often considered the most literal translation originating in the 20th Century and the most common Bible in churches)
English Standard Version (like the NASB in many respects, but more colloquial)

Dynamic (or Functional) Equivalence: This method is dubbed “thought for thought” because, rather than translating each word, entire ideas or thoughts are translated as a whole. A common rationale for dynamic over formal equivalence is that because not all words in one language have identical or accurate translations in another, the “word for word” method may result in awkward, hard-to-read translations, while thought for thought captures the meanings of the words in the language they are being translated better.

Examples
Good News Bible
Contemporary English Version/Today’s English Version

“Balance” or Mix of Formal and Dynamic Equivalence: This is a somewhat artificial category, as versions that fall under it are often generally classified as just dynamic for the fact that they use this technique at all. However, from my study, when this "balance" category is added, it is presented as a way to distinguish among the varying degrees that a large number of Bible translations use dynamic equivalence. I appreciate it for the nuance - and color - it adds to the broad category of "dynamic."

That said, this "balance" category involves translations that combine both formal and dynamic equivalence based on the idea that neither pure “word for word” nor pure “thought for thought” can always accurately convey the meaning of the original text because of variances in languages. “Word for word” is used where it is considered a more accurate rendering of the original text, and “thought for thought” when it is deemed a more exact translation than word for word. One translation calls this “optimal equivalence.” Translations that use both formal and dynamic have been said to be on a “sliding scale” based on the degree to which each technique is used.

Examples
New International Version (Has been explained as “lower” on the dynamic scale, sliding more toward formal than a number of the translations in the dynamic category)
New Century Version (translated for a fifth grade reading level and often targeted for teens, but has been known to keep a good balance between dynamic and formal)
New Living Translation (often pointed out that this translation is on the “edge” of the combined method, leaning more toward dynamic than formal equivalence)

Some Sources on Bible Translations: “What are the Different Bible Translations - addresses the differences – sometimes nuances – among each; BibleGateway.com- click on individual versions for information. Note that there is some variance among sources on how to classify translations.)

My Picks

After researching several different translations, I made some changes to my use of versions. Although currently the NIV is my primary text, I also reference three additional versions, in the following order: NKJV, NASB, and NLT (as I do when I link to Scripture on my blog).

I became more appreciative of the formal equivalence method used in texts such as the NKJV and the NASB that generally seem to steer clearer of any hints of interpretation – in favor of “purer” translation methods than the ones using dynamic equivalence in some form (the formal method is especially useful for Books of the Bible such as Proverbs, which have been said to be more understandably translated very literally - which I have found true in personal study).

I also began referencing the NASB more because of its common status as the most literal translation of the 20th Century – which I believe adds another dimension to studying Scripture in our language. Additionally, I appreciate the authority it tends to have as the choice translation for most churches – including the ones I have attended. However, the NKJV is my top “literal” translation; although the two have similarities, I find the NKJV easier to understand than the NASB (but that also may be because I have used it more often than the NASB). There are exceptions –Philippians 1:9-10, for example, is most clearly understood for me in NASB as compared to the NKJV (similar, but slightly less clear for me) and the NIV.

At the same time, I valued the “balance” approach taken with the NIV to translate the Bible into more modern English for understandability, but still maintain a level of sensitivity to the actual meaning of words - which I also saw can be a more accurate translation in our language than a literal one in some instances (common example: 2 Timothy 3:16– the original text is believed to mean that Scripture is literally “God breathed,” but a “word for word” rendering, as in the KJV/NKJV and NASB, result in the English word “inspired,” rather than “God breathed”. However, the NIV, using some dynamic equivalence, renders the word “God-breathed,” known to be more accurate as compared to the original text).

Additionally, after reading about the history of the New Living Translation and its efforts to still maintain some use of formal equivalence along with dynamic, I use it to reinforce my understanding of passages I’ve first read in the NIV, NKJV or NASB. I’ve found in many instances it has a way of making the meaning of verses really clear in our language in light of other translations I use. (I prefer it to, for example, The Message, which is at best a paraphrase of the Bible – not a translation. I think The Message can have good use as a secondary source, in some ways like a commentary, but in light of how it was translated I think it’s problematic to give it study-Bible status).

Collectively, referencing all four translations tends to really illuminate the meaning a passage for me and cause me to meditate on each word more carefully than I do when I read just one version. I enjoy taking parts of one sentence in one version, placing it next to part of a sentence that is more understandable in another, and then going back to reading the entire sentence in each version individually. When I’ve completed the process, I definitely gain!

Why Study?

Ultimately, studying God’s Word is not meant to be just for seminary students or pastors, but for all Christians. Second Timothy 2 admonishes believers dissect It as “workmen” so that we can apply it rightly (my paraphrase!). Second Peter 1 also tells us to pursue spiritual growth constantly, and that in doing so we will always exhibit godly fruit. Awareness of what translation we are reading – and how it affects our understanding of Scripture –can be a useful part of studying the Word of Truth for application.

At some point in our lives we may find that to increase our understanding of scripture, it may be necessary to study one of the original Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic languages in order to grow from reading the Bible in the language it was written. I have heard testimonies of not just Bible professors or pastors – but also lay Christians, who, for example, studied the Bible in Greek and said it added a dimension to their pursuit as workmen that they could only describe as incredible! Of course God does give us insight as we study His Word even in our own language and ask Him to open our eyes to wonderful truths in His law, but reading the Bible in its original form can be an amazing way to pursue an understanding of God's Word.

To Be Continued…

It will take some time for me to figure out how I will use the New NIV. I have begun comparing it with © 1984 online, and know if I were to decide to switch to it as a primary text it would be adjustment – as for many of us. I plan to really make an effort to understand the translation method and ask God for discernment in how to use it.

God’s priceless training program in Righteousness comes with a manual, His Word. And the cool thing about His class is that if we study The Text, we can all be on the Honor Roll. And making the grade has something to do with learning about an NIV makeover.