Category: Bible (Page 373 of 425)

And Saul approved of their killing him.

Chilling.

I often forget that Paul, the great evangelist, church planter and author of much of the New Testament, launched his career at the murder of Steven. The stoning of Steven (not stoned in the one-toke-over-the-line sense, but in the smashed-in-the-skull-with-rocks sense), propelled Saul into a spree of violence and bloodshed.

Saul began to destroy the church.

Compare Saul with a modern day Muslim extremist. Saul would have been comfortable with the beheading of Christians. He would have approved of their violent death, just like he did with Stephen. And which is a worse way to die – stoning or decapitation? Saul smiled at the violence.

I know a conversion appears later. But for Saul and those gentle people he whipped and beat and threw into prison, nothing seemed more impossible.

Which is why I must remember that the Lord grabs who he will. Like Saul, no one is beyond his reach. In my experience, the most vocally opposed to the Lord are often closer to a conversion than seems possible. They think about God and wrestle with God, and God expands into those spaces.

Saul’s story helps me remember that the Lord is never far away, even from the violent destroyers of the church.

Acts 7 in week sixteen of reading the Bible cover to cover

The Stoning of Saint Stephen by Rembrandt, 1625

The Philistines won a major victory over the Israelites and took possession of the Ark of the Covenant in the spoils of war. At first they celebrated this magnificent coup, defeating Israel and their god, but before long they realized that the God of Israel wasn’t contained in the box they captured.

Their people soon suffered from an infestation of rats, and an outbreak of tumors. Commentators see this as evidence of bubonic plague, carried by fleas on the rats. Devastating to a population, the leaders of the Philistines needed to act.

Choosing to appease the God of Israel, they sent the ark away, along with golden figures of rats and tumors. The cows pulling the cart wandered into Israeli territory, and God staunched the plague.

In the minds of the Philistines hovered the fate of Pharaoh so many years ago. Horrific plagues of rats and tumors – what would eight more rounds bring? Better to cut their losses now than suffer under the hand of the same God.

I wonder how many Philistines paused in doubt on their next visit to the temple of Dagon (their god mentioned in this account). How many quietly began praying to the God of Israel instead? Not in public, which was dangerous, but in the privacy of their hearts?

I imagine several. Like underground believers in the Muslim world, or Hindu nations, or American universities, more people recognize the power of the Living God and turn to Him than we realize.

I’m praying they might soon enjoy open and free worship.

I Samuel 5&6 in week sixteen of reading the Bible cover to cover

The painting featured – The Plague at Ashdod – is by Nicolas Poussin. Poussin painted this during a plague that took place in Italy from 1629 to 1631, influencing his accurate portrayal of the epidemic.

The rapidly growing church (see Acts 6) faced a problem. Certain widows missed out on the daily dispersion of food. No small issue, for these women suffered already, and the indignity of being ignored by the very people who claimed to love them hurt them and the new church’s reputation.

The disciples took action, and appointed a group of men to lead and work out the daily regimen of food distribution.

I’m impressed with the disciples decision to add leaders to their mix. The widows posed a significant problem at a tentative time. The disciples easily might have shifted their responsibilities and shouldered this new burden, working harder and longer. It’s risky to trust young leaders.

But trust they did. The disciples entrusted good people with a major problem, passed on their blessing and authority, removed their hand of control, and let these new leaders go to it.

The result? The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.

I wonder, who might I help flourish in their leadership and how might I do so?

Week sixteen of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger

A unique phrase describes Samuel as he matured from a boy to a young man under the tutelage of Eli – Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

What does this mean?

The New Living Translation renders the Hebrew phrase as Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.

Samuel’s words proved reliable. Not that he preached brilliantly and delighted audiences, but that Samuel spoke accurately and truthfully. Samuel developed into a trusted, proven prophet of the Lord.

I’m encouraged to read Samuel’s story. Dedicated at birth by a mother desperate for a child, raised from boyhood in a temple surrounded by priests, addressed directly by the Lord at an early age, and due to this reliability, confirmed as a prophet.

The Lord prepared Samuel to lead Israel well before his birth.

I wonder, what pieces are moving into place as the Lord prepares the way for his next yet-to-be-born leader?

I Samuel 3:19 in week sixteen of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Kane Reinholdtsen