Tag: King

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The Haunting of Truth.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard about Jesus, because everyone was talking about him. Some were saying, “This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. That is why he can do such miracles.” Others said, “He’s the prophet Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet like the other great prophets of the past.” When Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has come back from the dead. ‭‭Mark‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Just the mere mention of the miracles that Jesus had performed spooked the Roman officials. Herod was a 1st-century ruler (tetrarch) of Galilee and Perea. His father, Herod the Great, was responsible for ordering the Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem. Herod Antipas had tremendous political, economical and social power in his day. As a Roman ruler he did whatever pleased him, like divorcing his first wife Phasa’el, and marrying Herodias, who had formerly been married to his half-brother Herod II.

Surprisingly Herod and John the Baptist had an interesting relationship. Mark comments that Herod “respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him” (6‬:‭20‬). It was in these conversations that John must have confronted Herod about his decision to marry.

We often talk about religion mixing with politics and how we should not judge non-believers in their choices, but John the Baptist did not subscribe to that AT ALL. John had extraordinary access to a top Roman official and Herod respected the relationship. John was very outspoken about the marriage and everyone knew he pointed the finger at Herod regularly pointing out his sin saying, “It is against God’s law for you to marry your brother’s wife (6‬:‭18‬).”

But who was offended by this “truth spoken to power?” It wasn’t Herod. It was Herod’s new, also newly empowered wife! Herod had to be tricked into killing John. Herodias was the offended one and she couldn’t stand someone being critical of the king! She wielded her own power, convincing Herod to take action, “For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias” (6‬:‭17‬). Eventually scheming and manipulating a plan to have his head on a platter!

Herod saw something similarly convicting in the news of Jesus. Herod believed that the same spirit of John the Baptist came to haunt him through this rabbi, Jesus! Does God haunt our wickedness with truth? God was after Herod, just like He pursues every other broken human being! When Jesus was arrested in the garden, twelve hours before his death, he was sent to Pilate. Remember Pilate wanted nothing to do with Jesus, knowing that he was innocent. So Pilate handed him over to Herod Antipas. But what did Herod do… he sent Jesus back to Pilate’s court. Herod was not going to put another truth whisperer to death!

God doesn’t just work on and in the least of these, He also comes to the powerful and the proud, haunting them with truth. No one escapes the love and truth of God’s pursuit. It’s the human heart that turns, ignores or denies God.

Prayer

​Dad,
I am grateful that you pursue us. You are not hidden from those who seek. You are not hidden from those who want truth, justice and peace. You come after all of us and I am so glad you came after me! I pray you help us wield the power of Your truth, not as a weapon of judgment, but as an instrument of mercy. Amen.

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NOT like DAD.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice. Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

How many times have we heard, “You’re just like your Father!” Or, conversely, you’re nothing like your Dad!” Such is the cyclical, mystical dilemma of life as a father and as a son. As you know Samuel’s origin story was not just unusual it was pretty rough. His mom Hannah, has him later in life, and he’s a miracle child! But Hannah told God “IF!” If you give me a son…I will give him back to you. Thanks mom! God did and Hannah kept her promise. But what a tragic twist of events. Samuel is raised by an old, worn-out priest, Eli whose sons were the worst PK’s in the history of the Church!!! Hophni and Phinehas were evil, foolish THUGS. So what kind of father was Samuel? Would he be like his bio-dad, Elkanah? Or, would he be like his foster dad, Eli? We don’t know! Samuel, as a man, a judge and a priest, did a phenomenal job. But as father…how should we judge his parenting? The Bible doesn’t even mention Samuel’s wife, the mother of his two sons. And, the only facts recorded about Eli’s boys is this – they were greedy, accepted bribes and perverted justice! What? This is what the PK’s (priest’s kids) are known for?

The elders met and gave Samuel the what for, “you’re old and your sons are NOT like you! Then, out of nowhere – no context whatsoever, they say, “Give us a king!” Fill in the blanks, if you wish, but they seem to be d-o-n-e with the good judge, bad judge cycle of judges. If God had not told us the reasoning behind their desire for a king, we would have no idea what was going on in their heads. In 8:7-8,“for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.”

You see, God not only looks deep into the human heart, God sees the past, present and future in the always NOW! God mentions a sore spot in his disappointment with the people of Israel – “Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment.” Wow, He’s the God of perfect memory and recall as well as crystal clear clarity of the future! Give them a king, God says to Samuel. But warn them first.

What gives? Samuel’s boys were certainly awful judges, why was God not happy about the elders asking for someone different ? Because God knows what’s really in our hearts! In God’s own timing, he could have dealt with Joel and Abijah. They could be replaced, but the elders had no patience to wait for a “God solution,” because they had their short-viewed solution.

They wanted to be like all the other nations around them. Saying, “we don’t want to be unique, we don’t want to have God lead us or choose for us. We want a king?” Ouch. The cycle of kings lasted several hundred years and what were the results? Well, there was a lot of drama and great stories of victory and tragedy- that’s true. However, the whole “king” experience landed the people of God in captivity in Babylon. Experiment was over. No more kings for Israel.

It is frustratingly comforting that bad Dads can end up having great sons AND good Dads can end up having not so great sons. It’s one thing to read about these cycles, it’s a completely different thing to experience it in your life. Especially when you’re past the age of being able to do much about it.

Prayer

​Dad,
This whole thing of coming from a chaotic family background and being hopeful about breaking cycles has been challenging. But then also to give my own children a good foundation to launch their lives from has been interesting to watch. There is an undeniable truth at play. One, as a child growing up, I didn’t really know anything was off until I compared to other friend’s families. But also two, my own children had no idea of my past compared to their own experiences. Everything seems “normal” until we have something to compare it to. I know what my life was like, and because you’ve changed my life in so many areas, no one would really understand. I am so thankful to be your son because of Jesus. I am also very thankful to be a Dad!

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What can people do to me?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118‬:‭5‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Psalm 118 opens with David’s bold declaration of trust – “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” He had decided to center on who God is and what God wanted to accomplish, not the whirlwind of threats, intentions and plans of his enemies.

After the prophet Nathan had blown up David’s life, confronting him for his triple atrocities – rape, murder and coverup. God then deconstructed his faith, judging him and stripping him of the promises God had made to him when he was a younger man. These Psalms are the rebuilding and reconstruction of a whole new life. Yet, even with this fresh start there were consequences that followed David until the end of his life.

Along with this declaration, came the familiar sense of how powerful God’s will is and how weak are the constant veiled threats of people. Why do we listen to people compared to listening to God? It’s a common, flawed theme, in our lives! David writes out his process that is worth emulating. “In my distress I prayed to the Lord.” Again, how many times do I need to be reminded to go to God FIRST? We hear it, we are quick to encourage others to do it. But why do we wallow and wander in our hearts and ruminate in our minds when it looks like bad things may be heading our way?

David’s answer came quickly, “the Lord answered and set me free.” Wait? Did the threats stop? Did his enemies stop mocking? Did his own family situation just suddenly resolve? No, no and no. Circumstances did not change. David’s perspective, conviction and confidence changed! “The Lord is with me, so I will have no fear.” Then David scripts one of the most powerful narratives in the Bible, “what can man do to me?” NIV translates it, “what can mere mortals do to me?” The Hebrew text says, “What can adam (mankind) do?” Yahweh (Yhvh) is on my side! It is better to take refuge in and trust in Yahweh than people or princes.

David in his very natural, normal process of being confronted by his own sin and failures as a man, a husband and a global leader, decided to receive both consequences AND forgiveness. He begins the slow progress of reconstructing his faith and his life. This is extremely hard to do, right? If you don’t think so then maybe you have not blown your life up and watched the shattered pieces of friends and families have to rebuild their trust in you. David didn’t stay down, he didn’t continue to roll around in the gutter of his past. When God offered a hand to pull him out of the pit of despair, discouragement and depression, David took that hand and let God lift him. No, God didn’t not let him off easy for his sins. David paid dearly through massive loss of his sons and family integrity. Yet, God gave him a chance, a do-over. Psalm 118 is a great model of active repentance and rebuilding a life with God.

Prayer

Dad,
Whew. What a rough read. To go from a happy, singing shepherd boy to giant killer to a global leader. Then, with all that power, wealth and opportunity, to see David cave to his long-battled, selfish lust and desires is so gut-wrenching. He knew better, he should have behaved better, but he didn’t and I’m not beyond making those stupid, selfish mistakes myself. Yet, in your mercy and massive long-suffering, you gave him another chance to get it right. Even then, David had to go through the consequences and climb out of his own darkness and depression to let you forgive and help rebuild his life. Thank your for your mercy and patience over me. I never want to take it for granted.

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A prayer for every leader.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Give your love of justice to the king, O God, and righteousness to the king’s son. Help him judge your people in the right way; let the poor always be treated fairly. May the mountains yield prosperity for all, and may the hills be fruitful. Help him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to crush their oppressors. May they fear you as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon remains in the sky. Yes, forever!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭72‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Solomon writes this Psalm as he is given the reigns of ruling Israel from his father David. And as a man of wisdom, he requests everything necessary to lead a nation.

This prayer/Psalm should be the guiding words for any leader, at every level of authority over their charge. Help the leader, ruler, king, mayor, governor or president or pastor judge well! Let the poor be treated fairly. Let there be prosperity for all. Help them to defend the poor, rescue the orphan and needy children.

People WANT this kind of ruler, NEED this kind of ruler. Someone who leads in such a way that lightens the load of their care. Where folks echo back, YES – “May the king’s rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass, like the showers that water the earth. May all the godly flourish during his reign. May there be abundant prosperity until the moon is no more.”

Our leaders, at every level, should commit this simple prayer to memory and understand, they are not in office or role for self advancement, fame or fortune.

I completely believe that all leaders, sacred and secular should have this Psalm placarded to their heart. Our governance, even as Pastors and Church leaders may not have the autonomous authority like a king, but we should lead with this kind of heart. I love Solomon’s conclusive line, “May they fear you as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon remains in the sky.” Amen.

Prayer

Dad,
Oh that we could have leaders and rulers in every sector of our country not only pray this prayer, but live it out as well. Wouldn’t this solve a lot of our struggles and issues of trust and confidence. I know that many of our “rulers” are not godly, but every single one of them from Washington DC to our local city councils are in positions of power because you put them there or at least allowed them to rule. When the Apostle Paul reminds Timothy to pray for all those who have authority over us, this is what I pray for them! Lord, hear our prayer.

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A very real and eternal throne.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty. Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial. You yourself are from the everlasting past. The floods have risen up, O Lord. The floods have roared like thunder; the floods have lifted their pounding waves. But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore— the Lord above is mightier than these! Your royal laws cannot be changed. Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever.” Psalms‬ ‭93:1-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This imagery in Psalm 93 is so interesting. Yes, it summons thoughts of a majestic and powerful ruler. Yes, it is grand and glorious in its eternal, immortal existence.

From this throne, David writes the “royal laws cannot be changed.” They enormously perfect, just, right and true laws of God can never, should never be rescinded. The ideal of a throne, the lavished stories told over ions of time about thrones, kings and their quest for righteous rules all for the kingdom they serve.

I find it all so intriguing because as a kid I read many, many stories of good kings and kingdoms. I also read of bad kings and villains who would try to rule for their own selfish gain, misusing and abusing people and power to pursue their evil plans to keep them in power. All those stories had these good and evil themes woven throughout.

The most recent show that Robin adored and I tolerated, The Crown, opened with majestic music and beautiful cinematography swirling around this ultimate symbol of power – the King’s or in this case, the Queen’s crown. The seat upon which she sat was the last remembrance I have of seeing a throne. The place where laws are declared, justice dispensed, orders given to be immediately executed. The throne, the crown, the person sitting on it was seen as all powerful and revered.

This throne-symbol of power has lasted for several millennia and shows up extensively in the New Testament, much of it in THE book of endings – Revelation. The word thronos appears 62x in the New Testament, 47 of which are in the book of Revelation.

The throne may not be a prominent and even powerful modern symbol, but it will be so in the end. The word picture David paints in Psalms will return in full real and living color as this world wraps up and a new one is created. The words of the psalmist seem to echo from the song that was penned so long ago all the way to the very end of this world’s human existence – “Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever.”

PRAYER:

Dad,
What a very real and very poetically written majestic story. And I’m not just talking about David’s psalm. I am talking about the entire story of your majesty and might, your beauty and wisdom, your truth, righteousness and justice. It’s all there. It’s always been there. A very long story of not only our existence, but more amazingly, our redemption. It is and will be the very happiest of happy ending of any story that has ever been told! And, it is all about you. Gratefully and thankfully about you. I am quite happy being a part of it and even more excited to be present as it all comes to an end, then an entirely new beginning.