The Event that Changed the World

Tags

Genesis 6:5, Patriot Day, Psalm 10:3-6, Psalm 2:4

Today is the 20^th Anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the crash of Flight 93 before it became another fuel-laden missile to damage another symbol of America.  I keep reading things that claim that this is a day that changed the world.  I beg to differ.  It did not change the world; it simply changed many people’s perceptions of the world.

Please don’t think I am unsympathetic to the plight of those who lost loved ones, or who have vivid memories of changes these attacks brought in their lives.  My husband was an Air Force Officer stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, and the afternoon of the attacks, he called me to say he didn’t know when he would be home.  Neighbors and parents of my children’s friends worked in the Twin Towers. Mercifully, no one we knew personally was lost. But we did hear story after story about missed trains or unexpected phone calls that kept people from being in the buildings as the planes struck. I have worn red every Friday since then to remind myself and others to pray for the service members and their families who were still serving in Afghanistan to keep terrorists from our shores. Many times, those prayers were for people I knew. 

My premise is that the world did not change on September 11, 2001, but in the garden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Sin entered the world then, and death with it.  Death and evil are always present, but they are usually hidden from our sight.

Genesis 6:5 (ESV) “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Americans and most of the Western world in 2001 were blessed to live in a place where this wickedness was contained to a few individual actors.  People still murdered, loved ones were killed in senseless tragedies such as accidents caused by impaired drivers, but the scale was small and localized.  Most people were untouched by evil and felt invincible. “Things like that could never happen here,” they would say. Most certainly didn’t look to God as being in control or considering what he thought.  Again, nothing new…

Psalm 10:3-6 (TPT) How they brag and boast of their cravings, exalting the greedy.
    They congratulate themselves as they despise you—
these arrogant ones, so smug and secure!
    In their delusion the wicked boast, saying,
    “God doesn’t care about what we do.
    There’s nothing to worry about!”
So successful are they in their schemes
    and prosperous in all their plans!
    Your laws are far from them;
    they scoff at their enemies.
They boast that neither God nor men will bring them down.
    They sneer at all their enemies, saying in their hearts,
    “We’ll have success in all we do
    and never have to face trouble.”

And then trouble came to our shores. Planes crashed, towers fell, as the attackers used planes full of passengers to wreak havoc and destruction.  Fear, uncertainty, grief, and anger were all unleashed on American soil.  People expressed surprise. Everyone hugged our loved ones closer.  There were questions of how this could happen here.  Many went to Church to look for answers.  Some stayed, but for many, the memories faded and people drifted back to old ways, and even found new ways to ignore God. They do so at their peril.

Psalm 2:4 (ESV) “He who sits in the heavens laughs;
    the Lord holds them in derision.”

Don’t loose your perception of who controls the world. Give thanks for the myriad of times when you or a loved one are preserved, usually unbeknown to you. And remember the importance of sharing with others the one who saves.

Hebrews 7: 24-25(TPT) “But Jesus permanently holds his priestly office, since he lives forever and will never have a successor!

^“ So he is able to save fully from now throughout eternity, everyone who comes to God through him, because he lives to pray continually for them.”

Soli Deo Gloria,

Diane

Jesus’ Trees

Tags

Log in eye, Revelation 22:1-2

This is the last in a series of posts written as devotionals for campers at Science Camp at Machen Retreat and Conference Center.

Do you remember how on Monday night we talked about trees giving life?  Did you ever think about how many times the Bible compares Jesus to a tree?  He is a tree of life. Listen to these passages:

Isaiah 11:1: There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

Isaiah 53:2: For he grew up before him like a young plant,
    and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
    and no beauty that we should desire him.

And Jesus himself spoke of trees often.  Remember, he grew up in a carpenter’s shop, by God’s purpose.

You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Matthew 7:16-18

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. ³² It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” Matthew 13:31-32

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:3-5

After his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, as Jesus was on his way to die on a tree, he cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit.  There are many layers of meaning to everything Jesus did, but it is interesting to remember what Adam and Eve did after they ate the forbidden fruit.  When they realized they were naked, what did they try to cover themselves with? (Fig leaves) The very tree that was used to try to hide from God is what Jesus curses and causes to wither just before he goes to undo the curse.  The thorns and thistles that inhabit the ground after Adam is cursed are given to Jesus as a crown when he is headed to the cross.

The place Jesus sought refuge to pray on the night before he died was a garden of Olive Trees.  And we know that Christ purchased our redemption on a tree.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24

The communion with God that was broken when Adam ate the fruit of the tree God commanded him not to was healed by Christ’s atoning death on the cross.

Have you ever wondered about the fruit of the tree of life?  What was it like?  Well those who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior will find out one day.

Revelation 22:1-2 tells us: Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! Romans 11:33 

How marvelous it is to think of the infinite scope of God’s mind.  Nothing in Scripture is a trivial detail.  He knits every word together for His glory.  We are blessed to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from Him.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Diane

Abraham’s Trees

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Abraham, Genesis 12:6-7

This is the fourth in a series of posts taken from devotionals written for campers at Science Camp at Machen Retreat and Conference Center.

Tonight we are going to look at the trees that show up in Abraham’s life.  It is fascinating how many of them there are. 

Genesis 12:6-7 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oakof Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. ⁷ Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

As soon as Abram enters the promised land, a tree is mentioned.  It is even a tree with a name, which signifies that it must have been a large, impressive tree, and might even have been a place for pagan worship. God appears to Abram there, making it a sanctified, holy place, and Abram built an altar to mark it as holy.

After Abram and Sarai had there first sojourn in Egypt due to famine, they came back to this place and set up their tents.  Lot was with them, and soon there was conflict over resources for their great herds of livestock.  After Lot chose the Jordan Valley, Abram was promised by God all of the land around him.

Genesis 13:18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Abram apparently stayed here by these oaks for some time.  He goes off to rescue Lot, meets Melchizedek, encounters God who seals a Covenant with him, has Ishmael, is renamed Abraham and circumcised while living there. 

Genesis 18:1 And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.

Abraham and Sarah are still living by the oaks of Mamre when they receive the promise that they will have a son by the next year. This was the son who was to make Abraham the father of many nations.  Abraham is the root of the family tree that will lead to the Messiah. 

After Isaac’s birth, the Philistines recognized the blessing of God on Abraham, and sought a treaty with him.  When Abraham had ratified the treaty, he did something extraordinary- he planted a tree.

Genesis 21:33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.

This is the first recording of anyone purposefully planting a tree.  It is interpreted to be a landmark of God’s grace to Abraham, or perhaps Abraham’s marking a pledge to stay in the land. 

The next time we see Abraham mentioned with a tree, is when he is told to take wood for a burnt offering and sacrifice his son.  What a picture, that Isaac carries the wood on his back, much as Jesus carried the cross. 

And then, just as Abraham is ready to obey God and kill his son, the Lord stops him and provides a ram.

And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. Genesis 22:13

Guess how Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines thicket?

---

THICK’ET, noun A wood or collection of trees or shrubs closely set;

God provides a ram caught in a tree to be the sacrifice instead of Isaac, just as Jesus, the Lamb of God, was nailed to a tree to be sacrificed in our place.

The final place we see Abraham with trees is when he buys land to bury his beloved wife, Sarah. 

So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over ¹⁸ to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. Genesis 23:17-18.

Isn’t it neat to see how God uses trees to mark important places or events?  Abraham’s walk with God is bounded by trees.  They stand tall as markers of God’s faithfulness to keep His promises.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Diane

Noah’s Trees

Tags

Genesis 6, Moses' ark, Noah's Ark

This is the third in a series of posts taken from devotionals written for campers at Science Camp at Machen Retreat and Conference Center.

Tonight we are going to look at the significance of trees in the recounting of Noah’s life.  When God spoke to Noah about destroying the earth, what did he tell him to do? (Build an ark of gopher wood)

I think we tend to miss several significant details in this familiar story.  First, the word for ark is the same word used for the basket Jochebed put Moses in.

But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. Exodus 2:3 NKJV

Definitely a word associated with salvation.  A protective shelter for God’s chosen ones.

Secondly, it had never even rained on the earth, so the idea of a flood was something no one would have imagined.  So as Noah was following God’s instruction, cutting down lots of trees and building a big structure, this would have seemed very odd.  No one knows what kind of trees these were. “Gopher” is a transliteration of the Hebrew word used. 

So how did trees grow before the flood?  If it didn’t rain, what watered them?  (Genesis 2:6 says “and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— “)

Do you know what happens when trees get too much water- like being submerged under it in a flood?  (They die) According to horticulturists, if a tree is submerged for more than 7 days, the tree will begin to die.  How long were Noah and his family in the Ark because the flood had not receded? (A little more than a year).

After the ark finally came to rest on the mountains, Noah waited 40 days before sending out a Raven.  Then 7 days before…

Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. ⁹ But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. ¹⁰ He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. ¹¹ And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.  Genesis 7:8-11

What does an olive branch come from? An olive tree of course!  But we can understand that this was even more of a miracle because the trees should have all been killed in the flood.  We actually see that God recalls the original creation acts, first bringing the mountains out of the waters, setting boundaries for the waters, putting birds in the heavens, plants on the earth, and finally calling the animals and the humans from the ark with the command to be fruitful and multiply. 

And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. Genesis 9:1

God had preserved a people for himself, and shown his power to kill and give life. 

Sight and Sound Theater put on a wonderful depiction of the story of Noah and the flood.  They had live animals running down the aisles of the theater to get into the ark on the stage.  But the best part was the end, where the open door of the Ark, was transformed into a cross.  Just as Noah represented his family by obeying God, Jesus represented the entire Church as he obeyed, died for all of his people’s sins and rose again to new life.  Just as Noah and his family were carried in an ark of wood through the waters of death to a new life, believers are carried by the act of Jesus on the cross, through the waters of baptism, into new life. It is indeed miraculous as we are preserved forever. Just as God preserved the trees through the flood.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Diane

The Trees of Genesis

Tags

Bible Study

This is the second in a series of posts written as devotionals for Science Camp at Machen Retreat and Conference Center.

In his book, Reforesting Faith, Dr. Matthew Sleeth makes this interesting observation.

“Other than God and people, the Bible mentions trees more than any other living thing.  There is a tree on the first page of Genesis, in the first psalm, on the first page of the New Testament, and on the last page of Revelation.  Every significant theological event in the Bible is marked by a tree.  Whether it is the Fall, the Flood, or the overthrow of Pharaoh, every major event in the Bible has a tree, branch, fruit, seed, or some part of a tree marking the spot.”

We are going to spend some time looking at trees in the Bible this week during these devotionals.  Let’s being with the trees we encounter first in Genesis. 

Genesis 1:11-13 says: And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so.The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

Genesis 2:7-9 tells us: then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God’s creation is marked by order and precise planning.  He created the plants and trees which produce oxygen in their biological processes BEFORE He created any living animal that needed oxygen to breathe. Trees and plants also capture energy from the sun and convert it to an energy form that is used by all animals.  Interestingly, a human lung has trunks that branch into smaller and smaller branches.  If you look at a picture of it, you could think it was a bare oak tree.  The two mirror each other.

What do we learn about the trees God planted in the garden? (they were pleasant to look at and good for food.  There were two special trees in the middle)

Genesis 2:16-17 tells us: And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

We know that Adam failed to keep this commandment.  But what commandment was Adam give concerning the tree of life? (none)

This makes us wonder, why didn’t he just eat from that one?  The Westminster Larger Catechism question 20 tells us that the tree of life was a pledge of the reward offered to Adam for obeying the Covenant of Works- be steward of the garden and don’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  The tree of life was the confirmation of eternal life.  Why not eat that right away?

Jonathan Edwards makes a fascinating case for the fact that because this tree was a promise, it may not have had fruit until Adam passed the period of probation in keeping God’s commandments.  It may have had sweet blossoms, which promised fruit, but no actual fruit for Adam to eat.  Otherwise, God would have had to place a fence or a guard around it, as He did after Adam fell. 

He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.  Genesis 3:24

Edwards confirms the idea that the tree would not bloom until the probation period was passed by looking to Revelation 22:14 which says, “Blessed are those who do my commandments, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.”

We know that Jesus is the tree of life, and all who are grafted into him will be with him for eternity, eating the fruit of the tree of life that lasts forever.  “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:1-2

What a blessing that we have from Jesus.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Diane

A Tree With Deep Roots

Tags

Bible Study, Christ the Rock

Every year at Science Camp, I write a series of Devotionals for the campers to share before bed. I enjoy exploring different themes, and this year it is trees. This is the first in a series of Blog Posts about trees, written for an audience of teenaged campers.

Is everyone excited to be at Science Camp?  Machen is such a special place, away from noises and lights, nestled in the woods and mountains, with the canopy of sky overhead.  We are blessed to be here.

Listen to these verses from the Bible:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
    that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
    for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Does anyone know where these come from?  (Some may guess Psalm 1, which is similar)  This is from Jerimiah 17:7-8 in the ESV. 

What does it mean to be blessed?  (Allow for answers, steering towards the fact that to be blessed is more than being “happy”, it means enjoying special favor and grace from God.)

So how does one get to be blessed?  (trust in the Lord) 

What does it mean to trust? (confidently relying on)

Why do we trust something?  How do we decide what is trustworthy?

During the summer of 1859, a daredevil tightrope walker with a stage name of Charles Blondin, stretched a wire more that 1100 feet across the gorge below Niagara Falls.  Crowds were amazed as he crossed the wire time and again.  He kept adding difficulties, like blindfolds, walking in a sack, and walking backwards.  The crowds cheered and chanted for him.  One day he pushed a wheelbarrow across.  Again, the crowd went wild.  He asked them, “Do you believe that I can push this wheelbarrow back to the other side again?”  “YES!” was the resounding cry.  “Do you believe that I could push the wheelbarrow with something in it?” “YES! YES!” the crowd cried.  “Do you believe that I could push a person across the wire in my wheelbarrow?”

“YES! YES! YES” echoed forth from everyone watching.  “Then who will get in?” asked Blondin.  No one answered. 

This takes us back to the idea of our verses in Jeremiah 17.  The person who trusts the Lord is blessed. The one who has complete confidence in God’s power to save enjoys special favor and grace from God.  But none of us can work this trust by our own power.  Only the Holy Spirit, working in us, can give us trust. 

And we see this picture of trust being shown in the picture of a tree.  A tree is a living thing.  It grows up in ways we can see, but it must have roots that anchor it to the ground.  If you were here a few years ago when we studied trees, you know that the roots also take up water for the tree, so a tree that is growing near a water source, like a stream, will grow deep, strong, sturdy roots.  It will still have a source of water, even when there is heat and drought. 

This tree is compared to a blessed person.  Where does our stream of water come from? 

In John 7:37-39 we are told:

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

On the last day of this feast, The Feast of Booths, the priests took large vessels of water, which had been drawn from wells in a ceremony marking God’s provision of water from the Rock in the wilderness at the beginning of the week-long celebration, and after marching around the altar with them 7 times, they poured them on the altar while asking God to “Save now.” Jesus announces that He is The Rock, the source of life-giving water and that those who put their trust in Him will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 

The picture of a believer’s life being like a tree continues, as Jeremiah 17:8 tells us that this tree will always bear fruit, not matter what the outward circumstances.  We are not fearful or anxious if our roots are deep.  But if there is a drought, a trees roots grow rapidly to any source of water nearby.  If we stay close to Jesus, no matter what we face, our roots can be nourished by his living water, and our lives can stay fruit filled.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Diane

Lessons in Humility from Science Camp

Tags

humility, Machen Science Camp, Romans 12:3

2021 marks the 10^th year I have run a Science Camp through Machen Retreat and Conference Center.  While our purpose in planning and organizing camp is to glorify God by showing His glories in the natural world and harmonizing the Bible with Science, God always has lessons for us as well.  Mine for this year was one of total dependance and humility.

We knew camp would look a little different this year.  Covid kept some of our regular staff and campers away, but as always, God provided the staff he wanted to be there.  Imagine my surprise when it wasn’t me.  The verse that came to my mind was Romans 12:3 “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”  I was director of camp and running the kitchen, but that was not important in God’s plans.

Camp started well with prayers and staff meeting.  The campers arrived and we welcomed them.  Then as I went to meet the last arrival, a cloud moved across my vision.  Not a cloud of glory, but a cloud from my retina detaching.  God gave me the urgency to not ignore this, and call my ophthalmologist right away.  They advised me to head straight to a major medical center emergency room.  And so, I left camp, only to return briefly to get my things, before undergoing surgery for a detached retina, which put a gas bubble in my eye to hold the repair in place. 

And still camp went on.  There were wonderful friendships formed.  Bible truths were taught.  Meals were served.  God was glorified.  And I was not there.

God provided servants willing to step into my jobs.  He provided me with a lovely couple to take me into their home.  And He gets all of the glory. 

The body of Christ worked to serve, and I see again how it is a gift to be a part of it.  I learned many years ago not to be too prideful to ask for help.  But this incident served as a welcome reminder of my insignificance and Christ’s glory.  I still have weeks of dependence on others, as I can’t drive, or lift, or bend, but I trust our Lord to provide all that I need, and to give me a chance to witness to His goodness and grace.  Even my attire through all of my appointments declared God’s truth, as all I had with me were Science Camp shirts.  I explained to all who would listen what was going on in the mountains of Highland County, as I was sitting in waiting rooms and doctor’s offices. 

And God used to all for His good purposes. 

Soli Deo Gloria,

Diane

Passover Lambs

Tags

Luke 2:8; Luke 19:28; Passover lambs

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Luke 2:8

These shepherds were tending sheep that were used to for sacrifice at the Temple in Jerusalem, about 5.5 miles from Bethlehem. How fitting that the Lamb of God was born in Bethlehem. He would be the true sacrifice that all of these lambs foreshadowed.

And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. Luke 19:28

As Jesus was going up the road to Jerusalem and the temple, he was using the same road that all of the lambs who were going to be sacrificed at that Passover. There would be over 250,000 lambs to be sacrificed. That is a lot of sheep traffic on the road!

I love that God is such a god of beautiful details. The Lamb who was born in Bethlehem was on his way with all of the other lambs to be sacrificed. The King rode a donkey into the city- a conquering king, who did not dismount at the city gates. Hosanna in the highest!

Let the Dogs Have Their Day

Tags

! Samuel 17:43, Biblical dogs, Exodus 22:31, Matthew 15:21-28

In our survey of Biblical animals, we have looked at birds and cats, so now it is time to let the dog’s have their day. Dogs are beloved pets in 44% of the homes in our country.  They have Facebook and Intagram pages with millions of followers for their antics.  But this was not the case in Biblical times.

While dogs may have been used for herding and hunting, they were not pampered and doted on.  To call someone a dog was to indicate they had a very low status.  Think about what Goliath said to David.

1 Samuel 17:43 New International Version (NIV)

⁴³ He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

And while people today spend millions on specialized pet food, in the Bible it seems they were relegated to eating scraps or meat that was inedible to humans.

“You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.  Exodus 22:31

Calling someone a dog definitely had insulting tones.  But wait, Jesus, who never sinned, called a woman who came seeking help from him a dog.  Read what Matthew 15:21-28 says,

“And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” ²³ But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” ²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ²⁶ And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷ She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.”

Sheep, children, dogs- we know Jesus never sinned in any way, but what is he talking about?

We need to start by noting that the woman Jesus was talking to was from Canaan.

People from Canaan were not from the line of God’s chosen people.  Yet this nameless woman calls Jesus Lord and Son of David, which means she knew about the promise of a Messiah, and she seems convinced Jesus is this Messiah.  And she is coming after him crying for her daughter, who the text says was oppressed by a demon.

There is always speculation about why there seem to be so many people possessed by demons around Jesus.  But we know that Satan knew exactly who Jesus was, because as soon as Jesus was baptized and was in the wilderness, Satan was there tempting Him.  It seems reasonable to assume that Satan mustered all of his forces to distract from Jesus’ message and presence. It can be hard to think about other things when someone we love is suffering and there is no physical thing we can do to help them.

Jesus speaks to the disciples around him first, saying that he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  This is true, because all of the promises and prophecies about Jesus say that the Messiah will be of David’s line and a descendant of Abraham.  But the desperate woman still persists in crying to Jesus for help, because God has worked faith in Jesus in her.

When Jesus speaks to her again, he is not being insulting, but stating facts in a way that is easy to understand.  The children’s bread refers to the promises to the Jews and the dogs refer to any non-Jews, or Gentiles.  Provision, protection and care from the good shepherd were promised only to the Jews.

The woman is accepting of this truth, but persists in asking, even for crumbs of grace, knowing that a crumb from the Lord is enough.  She continues to honor Jesus, calling him Lord, and asks for a crumb, a small morsel from his table.  When you think of the miraculous healing she is boldly asking for, you see how great her vision of Jesus must be for her to call this a crumb.

And of course, Jesus knows her faith.  And that He did come for those of every nation, tribe and tongue.  He rewards that faith with the healing of her daughter she desires.  I am sure that like Mary, she treasures this in her heart, and this story becomes part of her family legacy. Lord, give me a vision and trust like this Canaanite woman!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Diane

Through a Creature’s Eyes

Tags

Isaiah 35:4-7, Jonah 1:17, Numbers 22:22-35, Obedience

And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah 1:17

This is one of my favorite verses about obedience to God in the Bible.  There is no chance in a fish swallowing Jonah.  The Bible specifically uses the word appoints and the definite article to make it a designated fish, not just any fish that happened to be swimming by.

The fish does not say, as Jonah did, “But God, I don’t want to.”  It does what God appoints it to do.  We know that our Lord is in control of every thing in creation, and that nothing happens outside of his will.   ALL of creation obeys His sovereign commands.  And sometimes stubborn animals obey better than sinful humans.  Consider Balaam and his donkey.  Remember, the King of Moab wanted Balaam to curse the people of Israel for him, and at first Balaam refused because God told him not to.  Finally, God tells him to go, but only to do as the Lord commands.

Numbers 22:22-35 English Standard Version (ESV)

²² But God’s anger was kindled because he (Balaam) went, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³ And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. ²⁴ Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. ²⁵ And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he struck her again. ²⁶ Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. ²⁷ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. ²⁸ Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” ²⁹ And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.” ³⁰ And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”

³¹ Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. ³² And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me. ³³ The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live.” ³⁴ Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.” ³⁵ And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.

Animals do not always obey our wills, even if we train them well.  When my dog, Hope sees a rabbit to chase, she seems deaf to my commands!  But animals always obey God.  Here, the donkey could see the angel, that was apparently invisible to Balaam and his servants.

What always surprises me when I read this part of the Bible is that Balaam has a conversation with the donkey!  If a donkey talked to me, I don’t think I would be answering it back!  But even when he Balaam hears something extraordinary, he stays focused on his anger.  He does not think about God, and that He might be behind this.

It takes God opening his eyes before Balaam sees what God was doing right in front of him.  Isn’t the same true for us?

Isaiah 35:4-7 tells us that Jesus will open our eyes.

Say to those who have an anxious heart,
    “Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
    will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
    He will come and save you.”

⁵ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
⁶ then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
    and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
    and streams in the desert;
⁷ the burning sand shall become a pool,
    and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
    the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

We constantly need God to open our eyes to see Him.  And he continues to work to clarify our vision of Him.  The work of the Spirit is to show us Jesus.  Our part is to stop, pray for sight, and look for the water of renewal and refreshment He sends. And as the water returns to the desert, the haunt of jackals becomes a pleasant place again.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Diane