1 Kings 1: Election Debate 970

Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army

By Captain Michael Ramsay, 21 October 2012.

Today’s pericope is about an awkward family situation and an awkward political situation. Now, I don’t really follow politics like I used to once upon a time. I no longer put my faith in the idea that whoever happens to win a popularity contest every so many years will or even can do anything to better a nation. On the contrary, as a 21^st Century Christian, I recognize as the Scriptures say that ‘I know from where my help comes; it comes from the maker of heaven and earth’ – not from some politician (Psalm 121).

That being said, there have been some interesting things happening in our world in politics recently. We in this city are in the throes of a municipal election and while no one is officially challenging Mayor Jared Schafer and the work he is doing, there are 11 people – I believe – vying for just six city council jobs and there are school board elections as well. In Ontario, I understand that there is quite a tempest brewing in that the relatively recently re-elected premier has just offered his resignation. In the United States, they have just finished another round of presidential debates and they are in the midst of another very close election.

The situation in the United States right now actually does have some parallels to our text today and it has even more parallels to elections south of the line where a sitting president isn’t up for re-election. Does anyone remember the election campaign highlighting Al Gore and George W. Bush? That was a very tightly contested race. In the end it was actually left up to the courts to declare who would be president of their country.

Then and there you had a sitting President, Bill Clinton, who was no longer able to wield his official power. He was on his way out. His own party put forth his Vice President as a possible successor to him and the other political party put forth the son of another past president as their choice. There are many states that always seem to support the same party and only a few swing states for the taking in any election. That country then, like their country now, was divided.

It is the same in our text today. King David is the leader of the Kingdom of Israel. In the early days of his reign he was a political force to be dealt with; he was involved in no shortage of scandals and political intrigue and he managed to hold his office as long as he possibly could: winning some really close contests for his job and sacrificing a lot of innocent lives in the process (1 & 2 Samuel). Even as a young man in all his victories, errors and sins though, he seemed to always return to God and was actually remembered as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). In our text today however, David is no longer a young man. David is old. David seems impotent.[1] The country is once again divided.  David’s term is coming to an end and a new leader will be chosen to succeed him.

David is from Judah (1 Samuel 17:12). Just like there has been an historic East-West or French-English division in Canada and an historic North-South division in the United States with the Democrats and Republicans fighting for control since the time of their second civil war (1861-1865),[2] there is a similar traditional divide in Palestine between the Israelites in the North and the Jews in the South (cf. 1 Samuel 16 - 2 Samuel 5). David is from the South. The conservatives, the old guard is from the Hebron area in the south. Their stronghold is the state (tribe) of Judah. Many powerful people are there. There is Joab, David’s nephew and the leader of David’s fighting men; he is the person who was used as much as any other person to put and keep David on the throne. There is Abiathar, the last high priest in the lineage of Aaron, Moses’ brother.[3] And joining their ranks now is David’s oldest surviving son, Adonijah. This is the old guard, the conservatives. They are the Judah Party and they figure that they have all of these important electoral votes locked down for the coming contest (cf. 1 Kings 1:5-9).

Now about the other side, the Jerusalem Party: even though David himself is from Judah, for political reasons, he relocates his capital to Jerusalem, which is on the border between the states (tribes) of Benjamin and Judah (2 Samuel 5:1-16). David abandons his old guard and David becomes surrounded by the new Jerusalem Party. This faction is made up of other members of David’s family as well as the traditional opposition groups to the Judah Party (1 Kings 1:28-40). In this Jerusalem Party we have the prophet Nathan; he was the one who – without asking God first - told David that he should go ahead and build a temple for God; God then vetoed Nathan (2 Samuel 7:1-17, 1 Chronicles 17:1-15). Later, however, Nathan did speak on God’s behalf. We remember that it was Nathan who God spoke through condemning David for having an affair with Bathsheba and killing her husband in the ensuing cover-up (2 Samuel 11-12). This brings us to our next Mandarin (or at least an instrument of them) in Jerusalem of our text today: It is Bathsheba herself, the woman whose husband David murdered after he impregnated her and tried to cover it up; She is now one of David’s wives (2 Samuel 12, Matthew 1:6). Our next member of the Jerusalem Party is Bathsheba’s son Solomon. Then there is Benaiah, an Army officer, assassin, and Solomon’s personal enforcer; Zadok, a new High Priest who in all likelihood was not even an Israelite;[4] and a number of foreign mercenaries.

That is the situation leading into Chapter One of First Kings: the country is potentially divided. We have David’s old guard in the South of Judah and we have the Jerusalem Party to the North who some even suggest are even holding David hostage in his palace in a similar way to the way that the Shoguns of old held the Emperor of Japan hostage.[5]

Now there is something else that we have to mention about David before we get to the events of our pericope today. David was known as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). David was a great warrior (1 Samuel 16 – 30). David could have been a great king. David was not a great dad. His failure to discipline, limit, instruct, guide, teach, direct, or even actually really help his children contributed to the deaths of many of his country people -including more than one of his sons (2 Samuel 12-19). We remember the murder of Amnon (2 Samuel 13), his oldest son, and we remember the rebellion and slaying of Absalom (2 Samuel 15-18), his second oldest son: both of these tragedies in all likelihood could have been avoided if David had looked to God for help instead of just letting his family run wild and these tragedies in all likelihood could have been avoided if David had learned what we know from the food bank ministry here: sometimes the most loving answer is ‘no’. There are limits to what God finds acceptable. There are guidelines that point to life. If we know them, if we know where our help comes from we will be okay. If we rebel however, trying to do things for and by ourselves, things can go terribly wrong. Today’s pericope reminds us of this.

It says that Adonijah, rather than relying on God, it says that Adonijah exalted himself: verse 5. He is testing his dad. It says that his dad, – verse 6 – David never bothered to rein him in while he was growing up. Adonijah has been given no way to figure out what are the boundaries in life. He has been given no way from his dad to figure out what are the parameters. David, it says, refuses to help. David does not name an heir to the throne and David’s health is failing. Something must be done. A new leader must be chosen. Adonijah decides that he should be the next leader of God’s people. The election campaign is underway.

Adonijah prepares well for his campaign, as recorded in the verses 5-8 of our story. He is handsome. He is the oldest surviving son. He organises first; he gathers around him prominent people from his father’s rise to power. He has a big leadership campaign kick-off. He invites almost all the high profile people of Judah who are his supporters: princes and royal officials alike (1 Kings 1:9). The Judah Party: the grand ole party of the old days of David’s reign, they have had their leadership convention and Adonijah is their man. They don’t however invite the Jerusalem Party and the election is on.

Now, in all this preparation, do you notice what it doesn’t say that any of them do in planning all of this? Even though it does mention that the last Aaronic High Priest has endorsed Adonijah’s candidacy, it doesn’t mention anywhere that anyone prays or even consults God in this matter.

The election fight is on and Nathan gets wind of this and he mobilises the Jerusalem Party in response, giving them their plan of action. Notice here too that nowhere does it say that Nathan or anyone in the Jerusalem Party is praying or seeking God anymore than those of the Judah Party. Verses 11-14: Nathan goes directly to one of David’s queens: Bathsheba, the one –we remember- who many years ago he condemned David for sleeping with and murdering her first husband. Nathan goes straight to Queen Bathsheba. Nathan, like any great political organizer, seemingly exaggerates his case as he tries to enlist her in his plot. He tells Bathsheba that Adonijah, David’s son by another wife, has ALREADY become king. Nathan apparently gets her all worked up and then he tells her to go to tell King David, who is very old and who is seemingly politically and/or physically impotent; Nathan gets her all worked up and he tells her to go to tell King David, who is very likely suffering from arteriosclerosis and is very weak;[6] Nathan gets her all worked up and he tells her to tell David that David had already promised that her son, Solomon, would be the next king.[7] Nathan says, you do this and then I will come running in while you are still speaking with the king and I will confirm everything that you have just said. These is quite a plot and again notice that nowhere in the Scriptures does it say that this plot is endorsed by the Lord anymore than were Adonijah’s plans.

This is just the beginning. There is more. Look at how and where Nathan unleashes his plot to put Solomon on the throne. David is in his bedroom when Bathsheba comes running in and David is not alone. Abishag, who it says in Verse 2, is a young woman who used to lie with him to keep him warm (cf. 1 Kings 2:22, Josephus, Antiquities vii.14.3);[8] Abishag, it says in verse 15 is attending him right at this moment when in they come running. Here is this possibly senile seventy-something year old man, who is suffering from a number of ailments, cuddling this concubine in his bedroom when in comes his wife who tells him all that Nathan told her to tell him, making sure to inaccurately state that Adonijah had already been made king and to implicate by name David’s old guard in this and to tell David all that Nathan had told her tell David including the idea that David had previously agreed to make Solomon king. This has got to be more than a little awkward –like our comics from the beginning of the talk today - and more than a little bit confusing for David – even if he is not ill (1 Kings 1:15-21).

Nathan then joins the party in the bedroom and the Jerusalem Party carries the day in the election to the throne: Solomon is named co-regent with his father (1 Kings 1:38-40). In the next few chapters, like new Presidents and Prime Minister’s in our part of the world today fire their predecessor’s chief staff, Solomon sends out his assassins to consolidate his power, killing off the key members of the Judah Party and anyone else he sees as a political threat (1 Kings 2:13-46).[9]

This is quite a way to start the book of 1 Kings and you will notice that God isn’t really mentioned in this story at all. God isn’t mentioned until Chapter 3 and by that time Solomon is already begun his undoing: Solomon is already king and Solomon is already married to Pharaoh’s daughter. If we had the time to address the rest of Solomon’s story, it ends in the same tragic way it begins, with conspiracies and death as the Lord Himself raises up adversaries to Solomon (1 Kings 11). As we read through 1 Kings over the next week we will notice that Solomon at times in his life loves God (1 Kings 3:3-15, 9:1-14, 2 Chronicles 1:1-13), Solomon at times in his life serves God but Solomon’s heart is turned away to other gods by his foreign wives and his rejection of God is so complete that God eventually tears the whole kingdom from his line… except two tribes for the sake of the promise that God made to King David (1 Kings 11-12; cf. 2 Chronicles 10). Solomon turns away from God (cf. TSA doc. 9).

But in the midst of the tragedy of the life of Solomon, who we will be reading about over the next few weeks, and after having just read today about the political intrigue of his rise to power what can we learn that applies to us today here in Swift Current, 3 millennia later? I think our lesson is this: God foreordained that David would have a descendant as a king forever (2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles 17). God had even planned that that descendant would not only be king of the tribe of Judah, that king would not only be king of the people of Israel. That king would be king of the whole world because that king would be the Son of God and that King would be God (cf. Genesis 12:1-3).

Even though Solomon and his friends and colleagues, like his adversaries, plotted and killed in our story today and even though before the end of Solomon’s life, his heart would turn after other gods, The LORD is still faithful and the LORD still provides a descendant of David and a descendant of Solomon to sit on the throne forever. Even though Solomon, who once was faithful, becomes faithless (Romans 3:3-4; cf. Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5),[10] God is still faithful to His promises to save the world through the lineage of David – this he does through the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.[11]

The question for us today then is, ‘what are we going to do about it?’ Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Are we going to serve Him? Are we going to read our Bibles and pray on a regular basis? Are we going to love God and love our neighbours and so enjoy being a part of His Kingdom forever – or are we going to plot and scheme on our own to achieve our own goals and then ultimately be led astray to follow other gods like Solomon (cf. Matthew 25:31ff., TSA doctrines 6,10,11)? Today the choice is ours. We can look to ourselves and our own plots, schemes, plans, and agendas, that will lead us where they lead us or we can lift our eyes up to the heavens to where are help comes from. It comes from God the maker of heaven and earth. Today let us serve Him.

Let us pray.

www.sheepspeak.com

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[1] Choon-Leong Seow. The First and Second Book of Kings, (NIB III: Abigdon Press, Nashville, 1999), 14

[2] The first civil war lasted from 1775-1783.

[3] But cf. R. D. Patterson and Hermann J. Austel, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:1 Kings/Exposition of First Kings/I. The United Kingdom (1 Kings 1:1-11:43)/A. Solomon's Exaltation as King (1:1-2:11)/1. Adonijah's plot to seize the crown (1:1-10)/b. Adonijah's attempted coup d'etat (1:5-10), Book Version: 4.0.2 

[4] J. A. Soggin, ‘Der Offiziell Geförderte Synkretismus in Israel während des 10 Jahrhunderts’, ZAW 78, 1966, pp. 179–204 in Donald J. Wiseman, 1 and 2 Kings: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1993 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries 9), S. 75

[5] cf. Choon-Leong Seow. The First and Second Book of Kings, (NIB III: Abigdon Press, Nashville, 1999), 14

[6] Choon-Leong Seow. The First and Second Book of Kings, (NIB III: Abigdon Press, Nashville, 1999), 14

[7] Cf. Jonathan Burnside, ‘Flight of the Fugitives: Rethinking the Relationship between Biblical Law (Exodus 21:12-14) and the Davidic Succession Narrative (1 Kings 1-2), JBL 129, no.3 (2010): 419

[8] Donald J. Wiseman, 1 and 2 Kings: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1993 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries 9), S. 74: The use of a youth to restore vital warmth was an ancient medical practice

[9] Cf. Tim Gorringe, “David's Big Ideas 1Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14; Ephesians 5:15-10, John 6:51-58”, Expository Times 120 no. 10 (July 2012): 498

[10] Cf. N.T. Wright, “Romans and theTheology of Paul,” p. 37. See also N.T. Wright, “The Law in Romans 2.

[11] Cf. Captain Michael Ramsay, 'Praise The Lord For Covenants: Old Testament wisdom for our world today'. Vancouver, BC: Credo Press, 2010. (c) The Salvation Army. Available on-line at http://www.sheepspeak.com/Ramsay%20Praise%20the%20Lord%20for%20Covenants.pdf

Matthew 22:1-14: Thanksgiving Earring

Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 07 Oct. 2012

By Captain Michael Ramsay

Today is Thanksgiving Sunday. It is often a time to get together with family, make new memories and recall old ones. Maybe this is why my mind drifted back to my teenage years this week. I remember when I was 16. It was the 1980s on the west coast. Things are a little bit different there and things were a little bit different then. I remember when I got my ear pierced. Now, I haven’t worn an earring for years. It probably wouldn’t go so well with my uniform. When I was a teenager it was a little bit different than today. Today I see men and women, boys and girls – especially in the large urban centres – with either or both ears pierced, noses pierced and even eyebrows pierced. I have even seen cheeks or tongues pierced as well, in not only teenagers but in adults and children alike. Now, when I was a teenager, teenage boys were just starting to have one ear, their left ear pierced. Does anyone remember why back then it had to be the left ear pierced? What did it used to mean if the right ear was pierced in Canada? (It used to mean that one was an open and active part of the homosexual subculture)

I remember one Saturday when I was 16. My friend Alex called me and asked me to come over. Okay. I had or had access to a car so I drove over. We hung out for a bit and then he asked me if I wanted to go downtown. Okay. I drove downtown and he told me to park in a certain place. Okay. His older brother and his brother’s girlfriend were waiting for us. Okay. Alex never told me we were meeting anyone but okay. We went into the store with them. Okay. Monica was looking at jewellery. Okay. She then asks Alex what he thinks of some gold earrings; he then asks me. I don’t care; why do I care about earrings. Then she tells the clerk that she will take them and tells Alex to sit in the chair to get his ear pierced. Unbeknownst to me that is the whole reason we are down here with his brother and Monica - so that Alex could get his ear pierced. Alex then starts to chicken out of his previously made deal with his brother when Monica says something that takes me completely off-guard. She says, ‘Okay you go first, Mike’.

“What?” I said  – How did I get involved in this? I think.

“You’re not afraid too? You’re not afraid like Alex are you?” I stood there a moment. You know how it is like when you need to make a decision and you need to make it quickly but it is a decision that normally you would like to take a little time to make. My mind is desperately running through all the pros and cons. My brain tries to think of a good reason to get out of it actually. I can’t. I can’t think of any good Biblical reason not to do it. I can’t think of anything but we do wind up leaving that store in a very few minutes anyway, Alex and I each… with our left ears pierced. And then I go home…

I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the response of my parents who were known as some of the more accepting parents on the block. I walk into the house – I immediately wished Alex was there with me but I had taken him home – I walk into my house and my mother actually grabs my ear and tries to tear the earring out of it while calling me quite a number of names and telling me that I don’t have any right to pierce my ear; I have no right to do that to my body and that it is really her body and that it is the temple of God and, and, and, and… and her yelling at me and her trying to pull the earring out of my ear is causing quite a scene and leaving me more than a little perplexed but that isn’t half as bad as my dad’s response. I don’t think I could get him to even speak to me for a month; I did not anticipate this response to having my pierced ear anymore than I had expected getting my ear pierced this day. It was a very confusing day for me and it was a very upsetting day for my parents and I think they were both relieved somewhat and very happy shortly afterwards when I brought home my next girlfriend.

Years later, when earrings became more and more common, I did stop wearing one. That’s another story that I’ll have to tell you on another day and that one relates to my family as well: This time, my children. I don’t know why that story came to my mind when I was reminiscing about family leading up to Thanksgiving but it did.

Today’s pericope comes from our Gospel reading in the Bible: Matthew 22:1-14 (cf. Luke 14:15-24 and Gospel of Thomas 64). It is about a big dinner not unlike the big dinners that many people may be having with their families for Thanksgiving this weekend. The parable about the Kingdom of Heaven talks about a feast. It is actually about a wedding feast and some not very thankful people. This wedding feast is a big deal for the parents of those being married. This is an important dinner. Dad invites everyone he knows and more. Dad is really important in our parable today. He is referred to as a king. He is an important political leader like Premier Brad Wall or Mayor Jared Schaffer and he has invited some important people to his son’s wedding. Matthew 22:2-5:

The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.

Can you imagine if an important political figure invited other important people to his own son’s wedding and everyone just “made light of it and went their own ways?” Can you imagine now if this political figure was really powerful? Can you imagine if he was the President of the United States? Can you imagine if he was the President of the United States and he invited leaders of the 100+ countries that they militarily occupy right now and can you imagine what would happen if they each defied the world’s paramount superpower? Remember Iraq? Remember Afghanistan? And can you imagine if these people, Verse 6 “…seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and then killed them”? What would be the response nowadays? What would be the response then in the first Century when Rome was the paramount superpower? Most commentators mention that this act of turning up their noses at the king and his son by this act of turning down the wedding invitation is more than just an insult. It is a tantamount to a declaration or independence, a provocation, an enticement to war (cf. 2 Samuel 10:4; cf. also Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 9.13.2).[1] How do you think any leader of a superpower past or present would respond to this? Verse 7 records, “…when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their cities.”

Now most commentators on this parable will emphasize its allegorical qualities at this point. Jesus said that this situation is like the Kingdom of Heaven. The King therefore is God.[2] The King’s Son is Jesus (cf. also Matthew 9:15, 25:1; John 3:29; Ephesians 5:25-32; Revelation 21:2-9).[3] God then sends out the prophets and the early Christian disciples, missionaries to Israel and instead of coming to celebrate Jesus, those who should have know better, those who were supposed to be subject to the king, those who were supposed to be subjects of God instead rebelled against Him (cf. TSA docs 7, 11).[4] They responded by murdering His prophets and martyring the early Christian missionaries. Some commentators even suggest that when the Bible here refers to the burning of their cities, it is saying that this is some of why God saw Jerusalem destroyed in 70 CE - because they rejected Christ.[5]

But how does this relate to us today?  The Judeans in the first century were the ones who probably knew the most about God and the most about the promised Messiah therefore should have been the most thankful and they -by and large- still rebelled against Him, rejecting His Kingship and turning their back on His only begotten Son. Who in the first half of the 21^st century here is in a very similar situation and doing the very same thing? We are. Canada, Europe, the US, Australia, New Zealand: the western world. Most of our countries were founded as tributaries to the King of Kings and servants of the Lord of Lords. We have mentioned here again and again how Canada, in particular, was founded on the Word of God. Our nation’s very motto “From Sea to Sea” comes from Psalm 72:8 and the motto of one of our highest orders, the Order of Canada is taken from Hebrews 11:16, “they desire a better country.” But now in our country when we should be thankful to our Lord, it seems that we are thankless and even rebellious. We used to open sessions of the House of Commons with prayer. We used to have prayer in the public schools. We used to have scriptures as a foundational part of our literature and our schooling. Even when I first came to Saskatchewan, still not too many years ago, virtually every public dinner would begin with a prayer of thanksgiving for the meal. Not anymore. In our western world today instead of being thankful, we are thankless and even rebellious. And we know from this parable what happens to thankless and rebellious people who reject the invitation to God’s eternal banquet with His Son: They perish (TSA doc. 11).[6]

There is more to this parable though. It doesn’t end here. Verses 8 through 10:

Then [the king] he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Now this is something to be thankful about. This is great news and if the story ended here it would be good news indeed. This passage is primarily referring to the fact that even though many of the Jewish people, though not all, (Jesus’ disciples and their group were Christians) rebelled against God and His Son, God still invited even more people to the eternal celebration (as was always His intention, Genesis 12:3; cf. also Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Romans 1:16).[7] God invited the whole world actually (cf. Luke 24:47, John 10:16, Romans 10:12-13, 1 Corinthians 7:19, Galatians 3:9-29, Ephesians 2:14-18, Philippians 3:2, Colossians 3:11). John 3:16 says that “God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”, Matthew 22:8 here records that in the process of inviting everyone, the good and the bad, that, of course, He even invited some people who were unworthy (TSA doc.6). Verse 10: “So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.” This is something to be thankful about on this Thanksgiving Day, right?

The story doesn’t end here though. Verses 11-14:

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

What does this mean? This is important. It means that some people who celebrated at the ecclesiastical and/or eschatological banquet, some people who celebrated at the feast with Christ will be removed. Verse 13: Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Some people who aren’t thankful to our Lord for His offer of eternal life will be removed from the banquet not unlike those who refused to come in the first place (cf. TSA doc. 9).

This is not just some poor soul who is dragged into a building in his jeans and then tossed out because he doesn’t happen to be wearing the right clothes. This isn’t someone who loses his right to celebrate the banquet by accident. There is no reasonably conceivable way that a person could not know and would not obtain at the arrival to the wedding what was acceptable to wear to a king’s feast. They just refused to change.[8] As was often the custom, the king could probably even supply their clothes himself (cf. Genesis 45:22, Esther 6:8-9, cf. also Ezekiel 16:10-13).[9] Showing up in the wrong clothes would be an act of rebellion.[10] It would be like if you or I received an invitation to go to dinner with the Queen and we showed up in a tank top and torn pants. It would be like if we men showed up at a formal dinner for Her Majesty without a jacket and tie and a doorman offered to rent one to us or to lend a jacket and tie to us and we say, ‘forget that. If she wants me, she’s going to have to take me just the way I am’. How is that going to go over? Are we going to be allowed to stay at the dinner for the Queen? No, nor should we!

It is the same with the Lord and us. God has called all of us. Jesus died so that whosoever believes in him need not perish but can have everlasting life (John 3:16, TSA doc. 6). Jesus died so that we can all live and this is exciting and this is something we all should be thankful for and this is something we all should celebrate on this Thanksgiving Day. Jesus died so that we don’t have to perish and Jesus rose again so that we can do the same: be resurrected with Him for eternity. There are no tricks to this. It is really quite simple. God the King sent the prophets and the disciples and the missionaries all pointing to His Son, Jesus Christ. And as long as we are thankful and accept His invitation, as long as we accept His Lordship, as long as repent and we don’t reject Him, as long as we don’t rebel against Him, this great feast of everlasting life is here just waiting for us to partake of it and enjoy it with Him forever.

If there is anyone here today who has never repented and said ‘Yes Lord, I accept your invitation’, if there is anyone here today who has not been clothed with the assurance of salvation, if there is anyone here who is not currently celebrating with our Lord, I urge us not to wait another moment before we mail off our eternal RSVP, I urge us not to wait another moment before we clothe yourselves in His righteousness (cf. Luke 15:22; Romans 3:21-31, 4:22-25, 13:12-14; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 6:11; Colossians 3:12; Revelation 3:4, 6:11, 19:8) and I urge us not to wait another moment before we sit down in thanksgiving with our Lord and Saviour both for now and forever more.

Let us pray.

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[1] Cf. M. Eugene Boring, Matthew (NIB 8: Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon, 1995), 417

[2] Cf. Benedict Thomas Viviano ‘God in the Gospel According to Matthew’ Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology 64 no. 4 (October 2010): 341-354

[3] Cf. D. A. Carson The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Matthew/Exposition of Matthew/VI. Opposition and Eschatology: The Triumph of Grace (19:3-26:5)/A. Narrative (19:3-23:39)/8. Opening events of Passion Week (21:1-23:39)/d. Controversies in the temple court (21:23-22:46)/(4) The parable of the wedding banquet (22:1-14), Book Version: 4.0.2

[4] Cf. R. T. France, Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1985 (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 1), S. 315

[5] Cf. Douglas R.A. Hare, Matthew (Interpretation: Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press, 1993), 251. But cf. R. T. France,: Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1985 (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 1), S. 316

[6] Cf. Captain Michael Ramsay, The Ethics of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel as reflected in parables spoken en route to Jerusalem, Presented to WCBC (Fall, 2006), on-line at http://www.sheepspeak.com/NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Ethics of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel  

[7] Cf. Captain Michael Ramsay, Praise The Lord For Covenants: Old Testament wisdom for our world today, Vancouver, BC: Credo Press, 2010. (c) The Salvation Army. Available on-line: http://www.sheepspeak.com./ptl4covenants.htm

[8] Carter Lester, ‘Matthew 22:1-14’ Interpretation: a Journal of Bible and Theology 62 no. 3 (July 2008): 308-310

[9] Michael J. Wilkins, ‘Matthew’ in ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, Illinois : Crossway Bibles, 2002), note on Matthew 22:11, p. 1868.

[10] R. T. France, Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1985 (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 1), S. 316: cf. the interestingly similar but later parable of Johanan ben Zakkai in Shabbath 153a (see Jeremias, PJ, p. 188).

1 Samuel 1: Re: dedication

Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 09 Sept. 2012
Presented on behalf of Corps 614 Regent Park in Toronto, 06 Aug. 2016

By Captain Michael Ramsay

Today’s pericope relates the prophet Samuel’s dedication to the Lord by his parents. This particular dedication falls in the midst of quite an extreme situation. It is even quite extreme for today’s world. To re-cap the situation we read about earlier: Hannah, Samuel’s mother-to-be, has been praying for a child for a long time. Now this is significant and the fact that the Lord answered this prayer in the affirmative is wonderful and I have heard testimonies from others about how the LORD has blessed parents after many, many years of praying for a child. There are many people who have not been able to have children and then when they almost give up the Lord miraculously provides. This is the grace and the wonder of God, of course, but there is even more to the story today of the baby Samuel’s birth and dedication.

Hannah and Elkanah, Samuel’s parents-to-be, they love each other very much and they really want to have a child and, for the record, having a child was even more important to families 3000 years ago in Israel, when this story takes place, than it is today. And that relates to, among other things, one’s retirement (Deuteronomy 5:16, Exodus 20:12).[1] In those days there were no seniors’ cruises, no seniors’ discounts at the stores, no old age pensions, no RRSPs, and no retirement homes; so, if you did not have someone to look after you in your twilight years, then you were alone and you were probably hungry and you may not even survive. Having a child in this time and place was a blessing not just for the child herself or for the help that she could provide around the house or the farm, the child really was your only retirement plan. He was your life savings and Hannah and Elkanah had no child.

Now our text today mentions that Elkanah has two wives. While this situation appears more than once in the Old Testament – we all know Abraham and Jacob, for example, and later many of the kings had more than one wife - it is rare, however, for the non-wealthy ancient Israelites like Elkanah to have more than one wife.[2]  Hannah, the wife he loved, was his first wife. Given this rarity of polygamy amongst everyday people, some scholars have assumed that it is precisely because one’s life depended so much on having a child that Elkanah would have taken another wife. Even though they were hoping and praying for a child, they were unable to have a child so Hannah and Elkanah may have even decided together that he should take a second wife – Peninnah[3] (cf. the actions of Sarai, Genesis 16:2; Rachel, Genesis 30:3; and Leah, Genesis 30:9).

Now this did solve the problem of getting a child. Peninnah bore many children (1 Samuel 1:3,4), but - as you can well imagine - one husband with two wives brought its own problems. Particularly since Hannah, who loves her husband very much, is now not only without a child herself but she has to deal with the children of her husband and this other woman who all living under the same roof, in the same house with her. Can you imagine? Sounds like it could be a reality TV show or something.

So then with all this turmoil going on and the other woman and the other woman’s children all living in the same house, Elkanah, in the full perception of a modern TV husband, he comes up to his wife and says, ‘Is there anything wrong? You look sad,’ he says; can you imagine?

It is in this state; it is in this time that Hannah goes to church, the sanctuary, a temple at Shilo to make a sacrifice to the Lord.[4] She is truly begging and pleading with God. She promises the LORD, “please, if you give me a son, I will give him back to you to serve you all the days of his life” (1 Samuel 1:11). This is the oath; the vow that she makes to God and God takes this vow like all covenants, oaths and vows very seriously.

Before we look more at Hannah, Elkanah, the vow and the particulars of their situation, let’s take a look at the general situation in the time of Israel when this is taking place. These events here are recorded in the book of 1 Samuel and Samuel is a judge.[5] Samuel is the last judge of Israel actually and last week we spoke a little bit about what Israel was like in the time of the judges.[6] But first, who can tell me what it means when someone is referred to as a judge in the book of Judges or in the book of Samuel? What is a judge? A judge – with the notable exception of Deborah - is a primarily military ruler. They are like despots or a combination between generals and regional kings.

We also remember what happened to Israel in the time of the judges. They walked further and further away from the LORD. They served idols and other gods. They forsook the LORD many times over. In the time and the place of the judges they repeatedly turned away from the Lord and suffered the consequences of just that (Judges 2:11, 3:7, 3:12. 4:1, 6:11, 10:6, 13:1, 20:13). The time of the judges probably takes place over a period of 400 years. After those 400 years the Hebrews had put themselves into a pretty bad situation. As the Israelites walked away from God, they obviously didn’t see Him regularly anymore; as they did not call on Him much anymore, they did not hear from Him much anymore (1 Samuel 3:1). Eli, the priest, was the penultimate judge of Israel and his sons and presumed heirs were as bad as anyone (cf. 1 Samuel 2:12-25).

Of Eli the priest’s own sons -who were themselves priests at Shilo- 1 Samuel 2:12 records, “Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord.” They would eat food that was dedicated to the Lord that they were not supposed to eat. When people protested their disregard for the Lord’s instructions, Eli’s sons, the priests would threaten those who challenged them with violence (1 Samuel 2:16). And on top of all of this they even, 2 Samuel 2:22b, “…slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.” This was the condition of even those serving the Lord and this was the condition of even those leading the people of Israel at the Tent of Meeting in Shilo.

Last week, we shared in a particularly pointed sermon, more so than most that we share here, in which we exposed ways that even we in this very city (which is probably among the holiest in Canada) are probably not all that different from Israel at the time of the judges. We looked at what happened to ancient Israel as they attempted to leave the Lord behind. They suffered many natural and logical consequences of their sin but God still kept calling them back to Him. He did not give up on them just because they gave up on Him; He is faithful even when they are faithless (Romans 3:3,4; cf. Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5). This faithlessness of mankind and this faithfulness of God through His covenant vow is where the story of 1 Samuel picks up with Hannah and Elkanah’s faithfulness and their covenant vow. When Israel had gotten as bad as it was, when Israel was idolatrous, prostituting themselves to other gods (Judges 2:17), God still was calling them back. Things kept getting worse and worse and worse and then at the beginning of the book of Samuel here, God gives the priest Eli a vision that God later confirms through Samuel (2 Samuel 2:27-36, 3:11-14). Like with the time before the Exodus, things had gotten as bad as they were going to get and then God is moved to action.

It is in this time when their society was then, like our society is now, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord through doing what is right in their own eyes that Hanna goes to the temple; she goes to Shilo, to make a sacrifice to the Lord - and she is truly begging and pleading with God. She promises the LORD, “please, if you give me a son, I will give him back to you to serve you all the days of his life” 1 Samuel 1:11)

We should look at this very quickly. I was asked this week, what good a son would do Hannah if she just winds up giving him back to God anyway? Visiting him only once a year? One thing is that his existence proves that she is not barren. Barrenness represents quite a negative stigma in the Bible. Both Hannah and Elkanah see that it is God who is withholding the blessing of a child from her (1 Samuel 1:6). She wants desperately to receive this blessing from the Lord; she wants so much to have the barrenness replaced with fertility (1 Samuel 2:5) that she is even willing to offer up the first fruits of this fertility to the Lord. God answers her pleas; God honours her request and more.[7]

God is moved. God is moved to action. God accepts Hannah’s offer. He accepts her vow. God blesses Hannah with the child, Samuel, and she offers this child right back to the Lord to serve Him forever. Hannah and Elkanah are faithful to this covenant made with the Lord at Shilo. This is a true story and Elkanah and Hannah have many more children – sons and daughters - after Samuel (1 Samuel 2:5, 21). Samuel, the baby, grows up serving God, and there is even more. The blessing of this covenant involving God and Samuel’s parents doesn’t stop with them.[8]

Samuel actually grows up to become the last pre-monarchy ruler of Israel. God actually uses Samuel to deliver Israel and, more than that, God uses Samuel to anoint the first two kings of Israel. God uses Samuel to anoint King David, through whom the Messiah descends. God uses Samuel in this way to prepare the way of the anointed, to lay the groundwork for the Messiah.

When the children of Israel are acting as bad as anyone can act. When it looks like they have totally rejected the Lord so that even those serving in ministry before the Lord are evil, when their whole society has spiralled seemingly out of control, one lady goes to Lord and prays. One lady who desperately wants a child, offers that child as a living sacrifice to the Lord. One lady seeks the Lord and He finds her and He saves her and He finds the whole Israelite community and He provides salvation for the whole Israelite community (cf. Matthew 6:33). Where the community was barren, He plants the seed of revival and lays the groundwork here for salvation.

This story -as extreme as it is- has some things in common with what we are dealing with today in this time and place actually. Last week we ran through a lot of the problems that exist not just in the big picture of this country with the false gods of capitalism, democracy, individualism, consumerism, pluralism, secularism, atheism, etc.;[9] We also spoke about the very real worship of other possibly even more tangible false gods that is happening right here in our community of Swift Current. We spoke of classes in the demonic arts that are offered to children and adults alike in this city and we spoke about how even in our schools and churches people are exposed to evil movies that promote, among other things, occult practices. Our country – which was founded on the word of God – has been seemingly profaning that word vigorously in recent years. As we said last week, in general we here seem to be guilty of the same sins of the time of Samuel’s birth and the book of Judges where we are doing what is right in our own eyes instead of putting God and our neighbour first.

Canada was founded on the Word of God, Psalm 72:8. Our highest honour, the Order of Canada, by claiming as its verse Hebrews 11:16 implies that those honoured by this honour reflect the traits of those heroes of Hebrews 11. We now, as a nation, however seem to be acting as bad as anyone nation can act. When even now, when it looks maybe our country has almost totally rejected the Lord, when our whole society may seem to be spiralling out of control, one person, like Hannah, can go to Lord and pray. The Scriptures tell us that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). One lady sought the Lord and He found her and He saved her and He found the whole Israelite community and He saved the whole Israelite community. One righteous Canadian, one righteous person from Saskatchewan, one righteous person from Swift Current, one righteous person here today, as any one of us and all of us, as we seek the Lord and as we offer up our lives to Him as a living sacrifice, He promises that He can save us and He promises that He will save us (cf. Matthew 6:33). And God Himself has already provided –between the cross and the empty tomb- for that salvation for the whole world so that whosoever believes in Him need not perish but indeed can have everlasting life (John 3:16). So with all of this in mind, if there are any of us here who have not yet offered up our lives through the Lord Jesus Christ to God our Father, I would invite us to do just that today. His Salvation is just as real today in Canada as it was 3000 years ago in Israel and He invites each and every one of us to experience the joy of that salvation both now and forever more.

 

Let us pray.

 

www.sheepspeak.com

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[1] Captain Michael Ramsay, Holiness Test: Deuteronomy 5:1-21, Exodus 20:1-17, Luke 10:25-27, Mark 12:28-34, Matthew 22:34-40, presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army (August 12, 2012). Available on-line at http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2012/08/holiness-test-deuteronomy-51-21-exodus.html  (cited September 06, 2012).

[2] Ronald F Youngblood in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, CD-ROM: The birth and dedication of Samuel (1:1-28)

[3] Bruce C. Birch, The First and Second Books of Samuel in The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 2, ed. Leander E. Keck, et el. (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1998), p. 974.

[4] Cf. Joyce G. Baldwin, 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1988 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries 8), S. 56.

[5] Marjorie Menaul, "Between Text & Sermon: 1 Samuel 1 & 2", Interpretation Vol. 55 (2001), 175: Internal indicators suggest alternative boundaries for the ‘book’ that includes these chapters, boundaries that begin at Judges 2:11 and end with 1 Sam 12

[6] Captain Michael Ramsay, Judges 2:11-19: Return to the God of Our Fathers, presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army (September 2, 2012). Available on-line at http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2012/08/judges-211-19-return-to-god-of-our.html  cited September 06, 2012.

[7] Cf. Terence E. Fretheim, Deuterononomic History in Interpreting Biblical Texts, eds. Lloyd R. Bailey, Sr. and Victor P. Furnish (Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press), 101, 107.

[8] Cf. Terence E. Fretheim, Deuterononomic History in Interpreting Biblical Texts, eds. Lloyd R. Bailey, Sr. and Victor P. Furnish (Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press), 101.

[9] Cf. K. Lawson Younger, Judges/Ruth in The NIV Application Commentary, ed. Terry Mick (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), 96: “Everything in our culture… pushes us in the direction of advancing our standard of living for more comfort, pleasure, and self-confidence without any thought of the Creator”

Judges 2:11-19: Return to the God of Our Fathers

Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 02 Sept. 2012

By Captain Michael Ramsay

We have a friend in our congregation from the Dominican Republic. We met last week. He was looking around for anyone who spoke Spanish or French. Unfortunately, I don’t. Being from Vancouver Island, I was born pretty much as far away from Quebec and French-speaking Canada as any native born Canadian can be.

As I spoke to our new friend, my mind raced to find the only French that I could actually remember from high school.  This is one of the French phrases that I probably heard the most in school. Let’s see if anyone here recognizes it? Does anyone recognize this phrase – the almost only one I remember from Grade 11. My teacher used to always say to me: ‘Ne lances pas la papier; ne lances pas la papier.’ (Don’t throw the paper!) French wasn’t my best subject. That being said I did do all right on my final grade. I’m guessing though that that might have had something to do with the fact that the student who sat nearest to me, Edmund, I think, earned the highest mark ever in French 11 and he was kind enough to…um… share his work with me… Occasionally during a test, I may have been known reach behind me take the test off his desk and copy, I mean, compare and check my work with his… Now I don’t want to set any bad examples here. I did do really well on my provincial examination and for some reason they wouldn’t let me anywhere near Edmund for that test. In the end I did actually study hard and earn my grade. It is too bad though that indeed I have forgotten much of what I did learn in French class.

Our story in Judges today talks about a people who forgot a lot more important things than a second language. They disregarded the most important thing their teachers, their leaders, their parents taught them. Judges 2:17: “…they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.” Judges 2:12-13: “They forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the Lord to anger because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.” This is sad. There are consequences for forgetting whom most of even our parents, relatives, or at least our ancestors knew: the Lord.

In our text today it mentions Baal and the Ashtoreths; do we know who they are? They were false gods, regional deities, idols. Baal was known as the god of storms and rain and therefore the controller of vegetation. Baal worship was very popular in the Ancient Near East and Ashtaroth was the consort of Baal, and she was known as the goddess of war and fertility.[1]

We remember what is the first commandment, Deuteronomy 5:7 (Exodus 20:3; cf. Leviticus 26:13; Numbers 15:41; Deuteronomy 13:4-5): You shall have no gods before the LORD. Judges 2:17: “Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.” This is sad. This is very sad. S. Dean McBride points out that often times in their history, the worship of the LORD wasn’t even Israel’s official religion much less its most popular faith. As often as not it seems that Baalism was their state religion (cf. 1 Kings 11:1-8; 16:31-33; 2 Kings 21:1-9). Even when the worship of the LORD was the primary religion in their country, Israel many times worshipped both God and Baal and the Ashtorehs at the same time (e.g., 1 Kings 18:21; 2 Kings 17:29-34; Jeremiah 7:9-10; Zephaniah 1:4-6).[2] Did you know that King Solomon, King David’s son, as well as erecting the Temple to God also promoted the worship of Ashtorehs (1 Kings 11:15)?[3]

Their country often followed both religions. It would be like people today who come to church but have a lucky rabbit’s foot on their key ring or read their horoscopes in the newspaper or pay attention to their fortune cookies. I read newspapers on-line. Did you know that the most viewed page in some newspapers is the horoscopes? Like people in our time and place, the ancient Israelites seemed also to try to have it all. They seemed to want to worship the Lord sometimes but they seemed to also want to turn to other gods when it suited them. Ancient Israel was primarily an agricultural society (herdsmen and shepherds especially). Baal, credited as the god of the storm and the rains, was seen as the controller of vegetation. Sure, they would still sacrifice to God but for good measure they might just turn to the ‘specialist god’ too. Astarte was a goddess of fertility, love, and war, often linked with Baal; so if you were going to war, or if you wanted a certain someone to notice you, or if you were trying and trying and trying and just couldn’t get pregnant, as an ancient Israelite you might just turn to the Ashtorehs for a little extra help as well. The Israelites, after Joshua died, Judges 2:17: “…prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.” This led to the collapse of their whole society by the end of Judges.[4]

Well how about us? Are we any different? Canada was intentionally founded on the word of God. Our Country’s motto is taken from Psalm 72:8 and our Country’s highest order, the Order of Canada’s motto is from Hebrews 11:16 but today we seem to be walking away from the Lord, turning from the way in which our forefathers walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.

Our Holiness Test of a couple of weeks ago displayed the truth that when we make our decisions based on our finances or popular opinion, rather than on prayer to God and study of His Word, we are indeed turning away from the Lord and putting other gods before Him (cf. TSA doc. 2). Baal and the Ashtorehs are long gone. What are some of the false gods that Canadians, Judges 2:17, prostitute ourselves to and worship that our forefathers didn’t serve?

Democracy seems to be a false god that our culture puts a lot of faith in. North Americans have provoked and waged wars all over the world in the name of spreading Democracy. Not only has this caused a lot of death and destruction of innocent people but did you know that in our countries’ race to promote the false god of Democracy, we are contributing to the persecution and near annihilation of some of the oldest Christian communities in the world?

Many people claim that these wars that have been waged in the name of Democracy have really been fought for the false god known as Mammon, Capitalism, or Materialism. K. Lawson Younger says, in our society, “Materialism with its pursuit of possessions and financial independence and security are [is] probably the biggest obstacles to spiritual advancement.”[5]

Younger also speaks of the false god of Self. Our “narcissistic society constantly promotes the self over all others… It urges ignoring, and if necessary dispensing with, whatever and whoever stands in our way in this quest for personal satisfaction.”[6]

Richard L. Christensen reminds us, “Christians in today’s pluralistic society are confronted by numerous rivals to the God revealed in Jesus Christ, rivals with strong appeal to contemporary people. [As another example he reminds us that] Atheists write books attacking the idea of the Biblical God on the basis of the god named Reason”[7]

In our world today, there is no shortage of false gods staring down at us from our flat screen TVs, I-Pods, or computer monitors seeking our obeisance. Our forefathers chose our nation’s motto from Psalm 72:8. Our forefathers chose Hebrews 11:16 for the Order of Canada. Now, of our generations they might rightfully say with the author of Judges 2:17, “Yet they …prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.” But let us take an even closer look at this, shall we.

It is one thing to stand up here and pontificate about what is wrong with the world. We all know that. We all know that there are problems in the world. We all even know that there are problems in Canada with turning away from God and towards money, self, and power but what about in Saskatchewan and Swift Current? We’re still doing good, right? There is a church on almost every corner here it seems. Most of the people we know here are Christians, right? We’re okay. We’re safe from serving other gods. You might even say to me, ‘Captain, look it doesn’t really matter about money and politics; that’s the world we in which we live.’ You even might say, ‘those aren’t really idols and false gods, that is a bit of a stretch.’ You even might say, ‘Captain, look maybe they actually worship other gods in Vancouver and Victoria where you’re from originally – Buddhism, Sikhism, Wicca, New Age whatever – but this really isn’t relevant to our life here. No one I know really worships false gods.’ You might say, ‘my kids are safe growing up here: they aren’t going to séances and contacting dead spirits or being proselytized by demonic evangelists or people from other religions.’ You might say, ‘Captain, my children and grandchildren are safe here from this worshipping of other gods nonsense.’ You might say this… but you would be wrong.

Here and now in Swift Current it is not in this way that much different from then and there in the book of Judges. I went to a funeral about a year or so ago in this city led by a (lay) minister in a local church who aspires to teach children in the art of contacting the dead and seeking their spirit guides. This is a person who serves in a church in this city; this is a lady who councils maybe even your own children or own grandchildren in this community; this is a lady who teaches drama to children, maybe even your own children or your own grandchildren; this is a lady in town here who promotes to children and to everyone else who will listen these false gods and traditionally anti-Christian religious practises that are condemned in the Bible. Do you know who I am talking about? Let me read you this from the Internet: “Christine _______: Certified Soul Coach and Past Life Coach, Registered Private Practice Counsellor, Drama Therapist, and Drum Circle Facilitator.” The service she offers are: 28-Day Soul Coaching Program, Soul Journeys, Past Life Soul Journeys, Bell Clearings & Feather Clearings, Soul Oracle Card Readings and Clutter Clearing Consulting…

What is soul-coaching, that was mentioned in this lady’s biography? It includes the following: finding your Spirit Guides, Power Animals, Past Life Guides and more. These are things that would have had her executed in the times of the book of Judges. This lady is very active in the community and she actually teaches the Saskabilities people once a week. She has access to the most vulnerable in our small city here. She wants to – and maybe she even does - teach your children or your grandchildren drama, drumming, zumba. Like the churches often try to point the children to salvation at an early age, the Enemy wants to turn them the other way. This isn’t just in some big city. This is in Swift Current. In this community we used to follow God. Now we here seem to, Judges 2:17: prostitute ourselves to other gods and worship them. Unlike our forefathers, we are quickly turning from the way in which our fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands and like the people in the book of Judges, as we turn away from God, leaving Him behind, He will not be with us anymore and that is sad.

Now so far this is only one lady who is possibly trying to turn people away from the Lord in our community that we have been talking about. If it were just her that would be one thing. It is not just her though. There is a lot more of this encouragement to turn away from the Lord, the God of our forefathers, and towards false gods in our city. There is this place called Kokopelli’s. Events and workshops at Kokopelli’s this summer included a number of things that the Bible considers idolatry: Aura Photography Readings, Past Life Regression & Progression, Tea Leaf Readings & Workshop, and it goes on and on and on... each taught by a different person here in Swift Current. In this very community where we used to follow God, now people seem to, Judges 2:17, prostitute themselves to other gods and worship them. Unlike our own forefathers, we are quickly turning from the way in which our fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.

There is more still. This transgression of the covenant with God in today’s scriptures through the worship of false gods, it led to the Hebrew society slipping into anarchy in the book of Judges.[8] This very same worship of other gods is seemingly rampant here, not only in our city but also in our churches and Christian schools. I know that a Christian school in this community, when the students were waiting to perform for a Christmas –or some other sort of concert- they played for the students (whose parents in good faith sent them to a Christian school!) Disney’s ‘The Princess and the Frog.’ For those who aren’t familiar with this movie, a review of this movie says that it is pagan, mixed worldview movie with light humanist and strong occult elements where a voodoo witchdoctor communicates with the dead and possibly even the devil; he conjures up scary, demon shadowy figures (who seem to be able to be killed by light, which could have Biblical connotations), tries to tempt main characters into making a deal with him by showing them the futures that they desire, and also engages in spells and occult practices such as tarot cards, charms, potions, a talisman, etc…[9] They showed this movie in a Christian school to children entrusted to them by some Christian parents. They promoted, I trust unintentionally, Judges 2:17, they “…prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.”

There is more, Susan showed up at a youth event in a Christian church, in a trustworthy denomination, in Saskatchewan. In a church, with young children from Christian churches all over the province, Christian leaders ignorantly were going to show to our children a movie entitled, “The Golden Compass.” Part of a review of that movie says that it promotes a pagan worldview encouraging getting rid of all authority, lying, killing, plus a church organization is demeaned. Also there is strong occult content, commending such things as witches and everyone has an animal companion externally embodying one’s soul and the soul-spirits are called daemons (pronounced: dee mons) like the evil beings who serve Satan.[10]

In Saskatchewan and Swift Current we are showing movies in officially Christian schools and presumably Christian churches openly promoting demons, voodoo, and witches. There are courses taught in this very city, not only to willing adults but also to vulnerable children, about Spirit guides, contacting the dead, and the occult. Even here and now in Swift Current, Judges 2:17, they prostitute themselves to other gods and worship them. Unlike our fathers, we quickly turn from the way in which our fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.

Now this has been a lot of bad news. The book of Judges too ends on even more bad news as the ancient Israelites suffer the consequences of repeatedly transgressing their covenant with God through this very same worshipping of false idols. When I went to seminary, Training College, they taught us to always end a message on a good note. This is sometimes difficult to find in a book that starts by telling us what will happen if we forsake the Lord to follow other gods and finishes after the people have repeatedly done just that.

There is good news today though. The good news is that, because of the grace of God and the salvation provided through Jesus Christ, it is not too late to avoid the same fate as the ancient Israelites. As real as the threat is for our hearts and the hearts of our children to turn away from the Lord, as long as we have breath in our body there is still time to return to the Lord, the God of our forefathers. God promises that when we are faithful we will be blessed for generations. As we return to the Lord, He is waiting here for us with open arms. He loves us. It hurts Him that we are turning away from Him but as we come back what a day of rejoicing that will be.

God did not give up on the ancient Israelites. God did not give up on them and God will not give up on us. As bad as everything can get in our lives: when everyone around us seems to be turning away, when it looks like all those who are around us are going to perish, when we are caught in the midst of trouble, God is good. He is still there for us.  Even after maybe we have disobeyed or even defied God like the Israelites and even after we have suffered some of the consequences of those actions, it is not too late to turn back around - as long as we still have breath in our body there is still time for us to repent, there is still time for us to return to the God of our forefathers, who is the creator of heaven and earth; there is still time for us to experience that salvation which Christ provided between the cross and the empty tomb. As long as we have breath in our body, even if thus far we have turned and served false gods like the Israelites in the book of Judges, as long as we have breath in our body, we can still repent, we can still return to the LORD and we can still be a part of His Salvation both now and forever more.

Let us pray.

www.sheepspeak.com

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[1] Arthur E. Cundall and Leon Morris, Judges and Ruth: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1968 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries 7), S. 70

[2] S. Dean McBride, ‘Essence of Orthodoxy: Deuteronomy 5:6-10 and Exodus 20:2-6’ Interpretation 60, no. 2. (April 2006): 134.

[3] Cf. Scott Langston, ‘Ashtaroth’ in Holman Bible Dictionary, ed. Trent C. Butler (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 1991), 112.

[4] Cf. Susanne Gillmayer-Bucher, “Framework and Discourse in the Book of Judges”, Journal of Biblical Literature 128, no. 4 (2009): 687.

[5] K. Lawson Younger, Judges/Ruth in The NIV Application Commentary, ed. Terry Mick (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), 96: He continues, “Everything in our culture… pushes us in the direction of advancing our standard of living for more comfort, pleasure, and self-confidence without any thought of the Creator”

[6] K. Lawson Younger, Judges/Ruth in The NIV Application Commentary, ed. Terry Mick (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), 97. He also says of Materialism, “It encourages at every turn the pursuit of personal happiness and gratification.”

[7] Richard L. Christensen, “Colossians 1:15-28”, Interpretation 61, no. 3 (July 2007): 319

[8] Cf. Robert H. O'Connell, The Rhetoric of the Book of Judges. Cited in Review by A.D.H Mayes, ‘The Rhetoric of the Book of Judges’, Journal of Theological Studies 49 (1998).

[9] This review can be found at http://www.movieguide.org/reviews/movie/the-princess-and-the-frog.html

[10] This review can be found at http://www.movieguide.org/reviews/movie/the-golden-compass.html