Tag: History

Posted on

God speaks?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Yes! All the time.
I wouldn’t say it was common in the Old Testament, to read about men and women having conversations with God, but it was normal. How? People ask. Like audibly, hearing a voice with our ears?

Yeah. I am not a Hebrew language expert, but I can use great tools like Biblehub.com to help. “Called” in these verses is just a regular word, “qara” to call out to or address by name. God spoke! What does the audible voice of God sound like? I’ve heard God speak this way only a couple of times. It was the purest, most gentle, true sound I’ve ever experienced. It was so plain, so clear, that I turned to see who was speaking. Hearing the non-audible voice of God became normal in my life ever since I committed my entire life to Him. I learned it was not something I heard with my ears (although my brain could not tell the difference); His words went right to my spirit, my heart so to speak. It was undeniable. I later learned that this is the voice of the Holy Spirit. God spoke to Moses audibly, clearly, with words. But in Exodus 20:18 Moses uses an odd phrase in Hebrew to describe what it was like to hear the voice of God: the people “saw the voices” (or “saw the thunderings”), a kind of sensory overload where sound and sight blur together. And in Deuteronomy 4:12 it says: they heard “the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.”

In this recorded moment with Moses, God was personal, and once again, He chose Moses as His ambassador, delivering His Words; His plans, promises, and will. Two months into the exit out of Egypt and into a multi-generational faith journey with God, we read these expansive words, reaching out over eons of time, “you will be my *kingdom of priests, my *holy nation.” ESV has two footnotes here. (* 1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6 and * Lev. 20:26; Deut. 7:6; 14:21; 26:19; 28:9; Isa. 62:12; 1 Pet. 2:9). Hear the echo that stretches out over history and far into the future?

It’s not God spoke, or God will speak, it’s He speaks and His words are reality. God speaks creating all things, the heavens, the earth, and life itself. The magnanimous mystery is that God speaks to us and even more personable; He speaks with us. Can you hear Him now?

Prayer

​Dad,
It is extraordinarily surprising that You, the one and only God, above all other gods, would have such a delightful, intimate relationship with us! I will never cease to be amazed by this. And to not just be known by you, but also for us to know you – wow. Then even more, to do life WITH you, to hear and obey you; to speak and be heard by you. Thank you forever for who You are and who we get to be.

Posted on

Is it really you?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’” At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭7‬:‭20‬-‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

After 400 years of silence, 700 years since Isaiah made his bold proclamations about the ONE, THE Messiah, expectation had almost disappeared. Think of that! In our modern times, what stories, predictions or promises have made it further than fifty years or even a hundred years? None. Our social, generational structures aren’t strong enough to even pass down events or stories from our great grandparents!

The Jewish people had an amazing ability to teach and pass down their stories – much of it because of the way they stored their ancient scrolls, the writings of God’s laws. It is a spectacular miracle that 100% of the copies of the original Old Testament parchments has remained intact for thousands of years! The first book of the Bible was written some three thousand five hundred years ago, while the last one was completed nearly two thousand years ago. The text of the Bible not only has survived throughout the centuries, it has survived virtually unchanged.

John the Baptist as well as every religious leader during the time Jesus walked this earth had patiently waited for the messiah. Jesus coming as a baby, born in Bethlehem and preaching in the area of Galilee, had fulfilled anywhere from 300 to 570 Old Testament prophecies. Although there were a few who proclaimed to be THE Messiah before or during the time of Christ, there have been hundreds of false messiahs since! Jesus did not just align and fulfill every single prophetic promise, he also performed about forty miracles, ranging from turning water into wine to raising Lazarus (and others) from the dead. For John and his disciples to ask Jesus if he indeed was the one and only Messiah was more of a desire of an announcement than proof. They wanted Jesus to clearly articulate the proclamation the he is the messiah and would ascend to the throne of David, defeating Rome and restoring Israel to its previous glory.

Listen to Jesus’ response – he gives God’s plan of healing and saving people not kingdoms! The good news, the gospel, was given to all who are suffering, poor and needy. The more I learn about the facts, the truth of what the Bible declared and fulfilled, plus the life of Jesus himself, I realize this – for people who want proof of the existence of God, the reality of Jesus living among us to bring salvation to all human kind, there is more than enough. Most do not need proof, they need faith. The answers are all written and have been proven to be trustworthy and consistent throughout all human history. Yet, folks, bent on denying God, desiring their own way, their own will, pick at popular lies and stories “disproving” God’s Word. It is by faith that one comes to Christ. The same reports that John’s guys brought back to him still are true today – the miracles of Jesus still exist today. Jesus still heals, saves and preaches good news to the poor and those who know they are in need of a savior!

Prayer

​Dad,

My generation, my cultural existence, has no sense of connected history beyond my grandparents! Our stories, our history, is nowhere as beautiful and significant of those who are Jewish. Even our own “God stories” and testimonies of your greatness rarely make it past our children. So the idea of waiting for hundreds of years for the fulfillment of a promise has no real understanding today. We can mentally imagine waiting for the promised Messiah, but have no way to emotionally bear that weight of time and patience of faith. I can see how your faithfulness extends far beyond what I can comprehend! Thank you for keeping Your promises. Amen.

Posted on

The longest feud in history.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price and paid the amount he had suggested—400 pieces of silver, weighed according to the market standard. The Hittite elders witnessed the transaction. So Abraham bought the plot of land belonging to Ephron at Machpelah, near Mamre. This included the field itself, the cave that was in it, and all the surrounding trees. It was transferred to Abraham as his permanent possession in the presence of the Hittite elders at the city gate. Then Abraham buried his wife, Sarah, there in Canaan, in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre (also called Hebron). So the field and the cave were transferred from the Hittites to Abraham for use as a permanent burial place.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭23‬:‭16‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Some of these Biblical references hold the deep secrets to thousands of years of conflict between modern nations and people groups. Within the long love story between Abram and Sarai (now Abraham and Sarah) we find the ending of Abraham’s dear wife, Sarah. Abraham wants to purchase and secure a proper burial place in the massive, expanse of desert between the Mediterranean Sea and the country of Jordan. There was basically just miles of land filled with sand with a few alcoves or caves that popped up on the desert floor. Hebron.

Here’s a couple of interesting facts about this transaction, which was clearly documented among two people groups, later to become nations. Abraham legitimately bought the land from one of the prominent Hittite leaders. Their descendants of the Hittites eventually merged into Turkey. However, Abraham had two bloodlines, remember? One was Ishmael, the other Isaac. Ishmael (although he was a Canaanite, went on to eventually become the cultural father of Islam, but not directly the Arabic patriarch everyone assumed. It turns out that Ishmael’s mother, was an Egyptian, and believed to be one of the Pharaoh’s daughters herself! When God saved mother and son in the desert, Ishmael went on to get married and have children. Those children became princes and princesses of the royal lineage of Egypt itself.

I always wondered where the bitter, rage-filled turmoil came from between Israel and the Muslim cultures. They both share the same ancient patriarch/father – Abraham! It is well known that Islam believes that their beloved prophet was a direct descendant of Ishmael, who was Abraham’s first born son. Making matters even more complicated, the city of Hebron, where Abraham and Sarah are buried would be considered “co-owned” by both “heirs,” Ishmael and Isaac. If you think that’s wild, do a little study on the Pharaoh’s daughter who ended up becoming the maidservant of two powerful bedouins in the desert – that’s right, Abram and Sarai. You don’t think that forcing Hagar out into the desert would create a historical tension between Israel and Egypt as well? What’s the point? When we make human choices out of our own free will to take shortcuts to accomplish something God had already promised, like Abram and Sarai impregnating Hagar to force and heir. Look at the massive, historical, cultural turmoil that ensued because of that one decision! Just look at where we’re at today, Judaism and thus Christianity, is still locked in bitter, religious, even political and social division because of that decision. Yet God clearly wants redemption of ALL people. And Jesus alone is the one and only true reconciliation for all nations, cultures and people! The longest feud is between God and humans, but history tells us there is still bad blood between the Jewish people and Muslims. Only Jesus blood can reconcile both us to God and brother back to brother.

Prayer

Dad,
I’ve long realized that a lack of faith also has awful consequences. When I am impatient or unwilling to wait for your will to be done and I make selfish, short-cut decisions, I must realize that those decisions have repercussions and ramifications for my future, but also the future of others in my family and close friends. Help me trust. Help me be patient and obey. Give me wisdom to see and have faith to believe. Amen.