A Net in Time

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Bible Study

Destruction and Preservation

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Okay, I know it’s been two weeks since I started Micah… I’ve no excuse other than busyness. Today we’ll be looking at Micah 2.

Looking At Scripture – the problem

Micah starts off this chapter speaking out against those who devise wickedness, planning it while they lay abed.

Woe to those who devise wickedness  and work evil on their beds!

Then in the morning, they put their evil plans to work. 

why?  because it is in the power of their hand.

So basically these are people in positions of power

If they want a field or a house, they take it.  Oppression of others happens because they feel like it. 

Looking at scripture – the answer

 The Lord God has an answer to this problem.  He tells these oppressors that he is planning disaster for them.  A disaster they won’t be able to walk away from. 

3 Therefore thus says the Lord:
behold, against this family I am devising disaster,
    from which you cannot remove your necks,
and you shall not walk haughtily,
    for it will be a time of disaster.

If fact, the disaster God has planned for them will lead other people to mock these evil doers. They shall be utterly ruined, to the extent that “they will have none to cast the line by lots”. 
4 In that day they shall take up a taunt song against you
    and moan bitterly,
and say, “We are utterly ruined;
    he changes the portion of my people;
how he removes it from me!
    To an apostate he allots our fields.”
5 Therefore you will have none to cast the line by lot
    in the assembly of the Lord.

Looking at Scripture – arguments

I think this section has the evil folks arguing with Micah.  Don’t tell us such things, we won’t be disgraced! 

6 “Do not preach”—thus they preach—
    “one should not preach of such things;
    disgrace will not overtake us.”

Micah’s response is simple… He challenges them (or at least that’s how it reads to me and I might be wrong).  The upright have nothing to fear.  
7 Should this be said, O house of Jacob?
    Has the Lord grown impatient?
    Are these his deeds?
Do not my words do good
    to him who walks uprightly?

BUT the people are acting like God’s enemy.  People who should be trusted are being thieves. Women driven out of their homes.  Children being removed. 
8 But lately my people have risen up as an enemy;
you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly
    with no thought of war.
9 The women of my people you drive out
    from their delightful houses;
from their young children you take away
    my splendor forever.

Looking at Scripture – then go!

Micah talks to the people telling them to GO.  This is not a place for rest, there is too much uncleanness, too much evil here.   Men who lie, too many people willing to listen to those lies. 

10 Arise and go,
    for this is no place to rest,
because of uncleanness that destroys
    with a grievous destruction.
11 If a man should go about and utter wind and lies,
    saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,”
    he would be the preacher for this people!

Micah tells the people that God will assemble this remnant of Israel.  Just like a group of sheep is gathered into a fold is this group of noisy people.   He will go on before them.  Their Lord will lead them. 
12 I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob;
    I will gather the remnant of Israel;
I will set them together
    like sheep in a fold,
like a flock in its pasture,
    a noisy multitude of men.
13 He who opens the breach goes up before them;
    they break through and pass the gate,
    going out by it.
Their king passes on before them,
    the Lord at their head.

Micah 2 destruction and preservation

Questions

What does it mean to say : they will have none to cast the line by lots?   Looking at alternative translations here gave me an idea about what is being said here.  They will be so ruined that no one will be left to be able to draw lots, which is a regulated by the temple. 

Ponderings

I read about God’s anger at the people’s sin, their willful planning of evil. I can understand his anger. I read about what they were doing and I feel angry. God’s wrath therefore doesn’t really surprise me.

I was, … oh, I’m not sure of the right word. surprised at the destroying them so completely that they can no longer take part in lot draws (so out of the temple). I don’t completely understand that section, but not even a remnant left of that evilness.

but oh..those last few verses eh? God so often preserves for himself a remnant, a group of people he gathers unto himself. He often calls this remnant his sheep and like a shepherd he leads them, like a king he’s the head of the group.

Destruction Coming

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Micah 1:2-16 is our reading for today. Last time we met we discussed the beginning of Micah. I don’t know that we will get through all 15 verses today, but we’ll how it goes eh?

Hear, you peoples, all of you;
pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it,
and let the Lord God be a witness against you,
the Lord from his holy temple.
3 For behold, the Lord is coming out of his place,
and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.
4 And the mountains will melt under him,
and the valleys will split open,
like wax before the fire,
like waters poured down a steep place.
5 All this is for the transgression of Jacob
and for the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the transgression of Jacob?
Is it not Samaria?
And what is the high place of Judah?
Is it not Jerusalem?
6 Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the open country,
a place for planting vineyards,
and I will pour down her stones into the valley
and uncover her foundations.
7 All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces,
all her wages shall be burned with fire,
and all her idols I will lay waste,
for from the fee of a prostitute she gathered them,
and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return.

8 For this I will lament and wail;
I will go stripped and naked;
I will make lamentation like the jackals,
and mourning like the ostriches.
9 For her wound is incurable,
and it has come to Judah;
it has reached to the gate of my people,
to Jerusalem.

10 Tell it not in Gath;
weep not at all;
in Beth-le-aphrah
roll yourselves in the dust.
11 Pass on your way,
inhabitants of Shaphir,
in nakedness and shame;
the inhabitants of Zaanan
do not come out;
the lamentation of Beth-ezel
shall take away from you its standing place.
12 For the inhabitants of Maroth
wait anxiously for good,
because disaster has come down from the Lord
to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the steeds to the chariots,
inhabitants of Lachish;
it was the beginning of sin
to the daughter of Zion,
for in you were found
the transgressions of Israel.
14 Therefore you shall give parting gifts
to Moresheth-gath;
the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing
to the kings of Israel.
15 I will again bring a conqueror to you,
inhabitants of Mareshah;
the glory of Israel
shall come to Adullam.
16 Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair,
for the children of your delight;
make yourselves as bald as the eagle,
for they shall go from you into exile.

Micah 1:2-16 Exile Coming

Understanding God’s Word

Hear, you peoples, all of you;
    pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it,
and let the Lord God be a witness against you,
    the Lord from his holy temple.
3 For behold, the Lord is coming out of his place,
    and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.
4 And the mountains will melt under him,
    and the valleys will split open,
like wax before the fire,
    like waters poured down a steep place.

Micah is clear.  The Lord God himself is coming, the earth needs to prepare.   We clearly see the power of the Lord. The mountains will melt, the valleys will split open… like wax.  Have you ever seen a candle melt?  What is what mountains and valleys will be like candles melting under a hot flame.

5 All this is for the transgression of Jacob
    and for the sins of the house of Israel.

Why?  Sin.. sin is what is bringing God down.  The sin of Jacob and the sins of the house of Israel.  

What is the transgression of Jacob?
    Is it not Samaria?
And what is the high place of Judah?
    Is it not Jerusalem?

The sin?  Jacob’s is Samaria.  Judah’s is the high place of Jerusalem. 

6 Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the open country,
    a place for planting vineyards,
and I will pour down her stones into the valley
    and uncover her foundations.
7 All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces,
    all her wages shall be burned with fire,
    and all her idols I will lay waste,
for from the fee of a prostitute she gathered them,
    and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return.

And so Samaria will be brought low.  Her carven images and her idols will be broken into pieces…. destroyed.  The image is that of something being unmade … her foundations uncovered, stones brought into the valley, left as a heap in the open country.  Makes me think of the stone piles we used to leave after cleaning the fields. 

8 For this I will lament and wail;
    I will go stripped and naked;
I will make lamentation like the jackals,
    and mourning like the ostriches.
9 For her wound is incurable,
    and it has come to Judah;
it has reached to the gate of my people,
    to Jerusalem.

Can you see it?  Micah laments at what is to happen.   How Samaria will be destroyed. I can almost hear him howling like the jackals do. 

10 Tell it not in Gath;
    weep not at all;
in Beth-le-aphrah
    roll yourselves in the dust.
11 Pass on your way,
    inhabitants of Shaphir,
    in nakedness and shame;
the inhabitants of Zaanan
    do not come out;
the lamentation of Beth-ezel
    shall take away from you its standing place.

12 For the inhabitants of Maroth
    wait anxiously for good,
because disaster has come down from the Lord
    to the gate of Jerusalem.

It’s a hard thing you know?   To see a land destroyed. Micah tells the people, don’t speak of it in Gath.  Those in Beth-le-aphrah… roll in the dust.  People of Shaphir… be ashamed.  Zaanan… stay where you are. And the sadness of the people of Beth-ezel… you won’t be able to stand in the presence of it.  The folk of Maroth wait for good. Not quietly with hope, but with anxiety.

You see… disaster has come.  The Lord has come down hard on Jerusalem.

13 Harness the steeds to the chariots,
    inhabitants of Lachish;
it was the beginning of sin
    to the daughter of Zion,
for in you were found
    the transgressions of Israel.

Sin, sin has been found.  Israel has transgressed.  Lachish… the sin started here.  Here was the beginning of Israel’s wrongdoing. 

14 Therefore you shall give parting gifts
    to Moresheth-gath;
the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing
    to the kings of Israel.
15 I will again bring a conqueror to you,
    inhabitants of Mareshah;
the glory of Israel
    shall come to Adullam.
16 Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair,
    for the children of your delight;
make yourselves as bald as the eagle,
    for they shall go from you into exile.

And so we see, exile is in the works.  They need to give parting gifts to Moresheth-gath, and the house of Achzib will lie to them.  A conqueror is coming. Weep, be sad, show your shame and dismay.  Exile is coming. 

Micah 1:2-16 Exile Coming

Questions

I don’t really understand these lines:

What is the transgression of Jacob?
    Is it not Samaria?
And what is the high place of Judah?
    Is it not Jerusalem?

Answers and thoughts

Matthew Henry’s commentary addressed those lines. He talked about how Samaria and Jerusalem where the main cities. So if God is coming to discipline his wayward people, then those centres of power and influence would be where he addressed his concerns.

It’s hard right? These verses. Seeing God’s judgment is about to fall of the people. All the sorrow seen. The hardship felt. The anxiety this warning would produce. The punishment will be severe for the offence is against our holy God.

But God warned them. He didn’t have to. There’s no regulation saying before punishment the people must be warned it’s coming. In warning, heartfelt sorrow could be shown and then God could have relented. There are other occasions in the bible when God says “smart’en up” and the people do, and God relents in his anger.

So in the warning, I can see his love.

The book of Micah

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I was looking through what books of the bible I had studied recently and realized that New Testament books has been more of my focus. Ergo, I thought I would engage with one of the Old Testament books.

Background to Micah

Micah is a smaller book of the Old Testament. It is a book of prophecy written around 722 BC. Bible at a Glance tells us that it is the 33rd book in the bible, written by Micah. It prophesies the birth of Christ in Bethlehem and predicts the fall of Jerusalem.

There is some debate over who compiled the book of Micah. Whether he or a disciple wrote things down, or if a later follower compiled his writings into one manuscript.

Micah’s Time

Micah prophesied during the reigns of the Judean kings Jotham (750–735 B.C.), Ahaz (735–715), and Hezekiah (715–687).  He would have served around the same time as Isaiah and Hosea. You can find a map here that shows what the land and politics would have been like at the time.

The book of Micah opens with this verse:

The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

Micah was from Moresheth. Moresheth, also known as Moreseth-Gath, was a town of the tribe of Judah in ancient Israel. It was located in the Shephelah region. A map showing it’s location can be found here.

His prophesies concern Samaria and Jerusalem.

The book of Micah

Follow Me!

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Oh wonders! Did you know we’re on the last few verses of John? Time has passed well I think hasn’t it? Anyways, last time Jesus asked Peter three times about his love for him. Today we’ll finish off the book of John.

John 21:20-25

20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

John 21:20-25 Follow Me!

What Scripture Says

Peter has heard that he will die for the Lord. That’s got to be startling. In the aftermath of that news Peter sees the disciple that Jesus loved following them. This same disciple had leaned up against Jesus during their last supper and had asked “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” But that isn’t the point of this conversation, the point is that Peter was wondering what would happen to this particular disciple.  

Jesus’ response was “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 

Jesus pointed Peter back to where his focus should be.  Following him. 

Of course, people being who they are, and how easily we assume ideas, spread the idea that this disciple wouldn’t die.   But that is NOT what Jesus had said.  He said  “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

The disciple that Jesus loved is the same disciple who bore witness about everything here.  He wrote the book of John.  Ergo we know the disciple that Jesus loved was John.    John’s testimony is known to be true.

Jesus did a whole lot of other things.  John tells us that if all of them were written down, the world could not hold the books written. 

Questions

I know I supposed that Peter might have been shocked/startled at Jesus’ revelation that Peter would die for him. I wonder though, if he was feeling a bit “put out about it too”. This wondering is based in Peter’s questioning Jesus about the fate of John.

Why it was important to bring up the conversation at the last supper. Scripture was never written blindly.

John 21:20-25 Follow Me!

Pondering this passage

I love how Jesus pointed Peter back to himself. I am reminded of how often I will profess my love for the Lord. I’ll have a purpose in mind again, and then it happens. I get distracted. That’s, I think, what happened to Peter. He sees this other disciple and knows that Jesus loves him. Jesus just told Peter that he would die for him.

Peter had been wounded by Jesus asking him three times about his love for him. Gives him three tasks to do. Then tells Peter he’ll die. So a wounded, startled Peter sees John and wonders… what will happen with John?

In that wondering he took his eyes off his own professed love. He loves Jesus. Wants to do whatever Jesus asks of him. But here in this moment, he is distracted.

Happens to me. And I’ll beat a dollar it happens to you too. You know you love the Lord, but “oh look, it’s shiney”! Those moments happen to all of us. Doesn’t mean you don’t love him. And did you notice that Jesus didn’t say “Peter, do you love me?” He didn’t. He in essence said “Never you mind him, focus on your task. FOLLOW ME.”

Like when a momma in training her boys gives one son a task, and then to the “what about Joe?” Says never you mind, Go sweep the floor like I asked.

Let’s try not to get distracted, but rather to just do as the Lord commands. Follow him. Not minding how he asks others to do the same deed. Our focus needs to be on what the Lord has given for us to do.

Simon Peter’s Eagerness

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Do you remember how the bible was written to encourage belief?  Pretty neat those verses eh?  Today John continues to write with John 21:1-14.

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

john 21:1-14

Scripture Speaks

We know that after Jesus’ resurrection he appeared to Mary, some of the disciples and then to all of the disciples.   He then goes on to reveal himself to the disciples again, this time by the by the Sea of Tiberias.

The way he revealed himself was by standing on the shore as Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee and two others were fishing.   They had gone out when Simon Peter had said to them, “I am going fishing.” They were out all night without catching a thing. 

So here it’s coming up sunrise, Jesus was standing on the shore but the disciples didn’t know who he was yet.  He asked them, “Children, do you have any fish?”

They told him no, so he told them to, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”

They cast it catching an immense amount of fish.  So many they couldn’t pull it.  This caused the disciple that Jesus loved to call out “It is the Lord!”  Simon Peter heard this, put on his cloak and rushed out to Jesus.  The bible tells us “he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.”

Meanwhile, the other disciples brought in the boat and net.  They were only about a hundred yards out.   When they got to shore, Jesus already had a fire going with fish on it, but he asked them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”

Simon Peter hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn.

They had breakfast on the beach with him there.  They knew who he was.  In fact they didn’t dare ask him, “Who are you?” Jesus himself gave them bread and fish to eat.  This was the third time he had revealed himself to them.

Questions

I wonder why John had to write in that the disciples didn’t dare ask “Who he was”. Was it so glaringly obvious it would have been stupid? They why put that in? Just seems odd to me.

Simon Peter, even in his eagerness to see the Lord, took the time to dress properly for him. Makes me think it was ingrained behaviour. Strip down to work, dress to talk to people. Part of me is still surprised though.

John 21:1-14

Points that hit home

Simon was SO eager to be with the Lord. He didn’t wait a second (beyond dressing) to rush out to be with him. When Jesus asked for more fish, he immediately set out to bring them in. Such eagerness to not only be with his Lord but to meet his every request. I need to ponder on that a spell.

Part of my thinking is this: Peter had lost his Lord to crucifixion. He knew it, saw it, experienced it. And here now was his Lord again. His Lord who just netted them 153 large fish. Peter LOVED the Lord and he was back so of course he was going to spend as much time with him as possible. Of course he was going to do anything Jesus asked.. he was back!!!!!

It would be no different for me if I thought someone I loved was gone forever and then they were back. I want to do dinner, and go for a walk and fetch them a drink. It’s how my love for them would be expressed.

So often I fail to express my love for the Lord in such a manner. I lack that immediate eagerness to be with him, or to do whatever he asks. I’ve allowed myself to become too settled, and too comfortable. I’m supposing this needs to change. I need that eagerness back.

The Battle of Faith

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This week in The Faith-Shaped Life, Ian Hamilton talks about the battle of faith that we engage in. There is a tension that we live under as we strive to live as the new creation we are declared to be, and the realities of the world that we are part of.

battle of faith

The twist

For we know (at least the Bible tells us) that God works all things for good. In Romans 8 tells that “For we know that God works all things for good for those called according to his purpose.” This is a big thing to contemplate.

It doesn’t say that God works some things, or most things, but all things.

The battle of faith that we engage in is… do we believe this? Do we honestly believe that God works all things for good?

What do we do when things don’t go according to plan? Don’t we often sit back and complain? Or just wish that somehow it could be different? Is that believing that what God says is true?

Response

I find myself sitting back, thinking about how I react to what I see as adverse conditions. How my first response is to complain or to try to change things to what I want. It’s not good right?

How do I get to the point where I consistently see that God knows the bigger picture? That truly he does know how to work all the different things in my life to good.

Romans 8:28

 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  (esv)

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (niv)

28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (nrsv)

Choosing to believe

I find that sometimes it just a matter of making a choice. You know that God will work it to good, so you have to make a choice to shut off what you see and feel and look to God. It’s a matter of believing what you know to be true long-term instead of focusing on the short-term. Not saying it’s easy, because it’s far from that.

But it’s like I look at my bunnies right? I can make choice solely based on what I see in front of me, or I can decide to look at what I want down the road. I want to eventually have chocolate and blue tri-colours. That’s a goal. How do I get there? Is it by breeding the torts I have? Not really. Torts are not going to get me to tricolours.

Likewise in faith, if I focus only on my health and how sometimes I’m bone tired (without having a good reason to be so), then I fail to see (and act upon) the things that God has given for me this day. The ability to fold laundry, to chat with my boy, to encourage an international student, to work on my blog and so forth. I have to believe that God truly knows what I need to further the advancement of his kingdom and my growing more into his likeness.

Hopefully all that makes sense. At the end of it all we have a decision to make. Believe our circumstances and be stuck in them, or decide to look beyond them and know that the bible (and therefore God) is true. That ultimately is what the battle of faith is all about. Believe God to be true.

Written to Encourage Belief

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A lesson from Thomas was our last devotional.  Today John 20:30-31

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Looking at Scripture

Oh, aren’t these interesting lines?

We know that Jesus is among the disciples.  Witnessed by a now believing Thomas and the rest. 

Jesus did other signs but we aren’t told about them.  

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

But the ones were told about are for the express purpose of helping us believe in Jesus as the Christ, the son of God.

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,

AND so that believing in him we may have life in his name. 

and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Life Lesson

I don’t know about you but knowing that Jesus did other signs just makes me very curious about what they were. I know, it’s silly of me, but it just makes me go “Oh, I wonder what he did”. Wouldn’t it be cool to know what he might have said while doing them.

At the same time, I am comforted. The signs that were written down are sufficient for my belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of my life. I don’t NEED anything more. If I did, it would have been written.

John is clear though… Enough was written down for faith to be realized. What was written was done so in order that we might believe, in fact, that was the whole purpose. Isn’t that great to know?

The bible isn’t just random words you know? It has a purpose. Jesus appearing among the disciples, us knowing that matters! Jesus talking to Thomas.. that matters. It’s part of what helps to form our faith in Jesus as Christ. Not just stories, not just random miraculous events, but events with the purpose of faith formation.