Day 100 and Dagon

Day 100

OT Reading: 1 Samuel 4-6

NT Reading: Luke 12:35-59

Day 100. A big CONGRATULATIONS if you've made it with me this far. It has not been easy, and sometimes it has not been the most interesting, but we've pressed on nonetheless. I wish I could say, "From here on out it will be smooth sailing" but that would be a lie. But in the words of the incomparable Dory from Finding Nemo..."Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming..."

In today's reading I'm reminded that God has a sense of humor. The Israelites had gotten it in their minds that they could use the Ark of the Covenant like a magic trinket that would ensure them victory on the battlefield. They found out the hard way that they were very, very wrong. The Ark is captured by their enemies, the Philistines, and taken into the temple of their own god by the name of Dagon.

That's when things start to get funny. The next day everyone wakes up and instead of being in his normal place, Dagon is on the ground, essentially bowing down to the Ark of the Covenant. The people quickly set him upright only to have the same thing happen the next day. Dagon, face down before the Ark.

In all likelihood, this statue was not a small trinket. Typical statues of deities placed in temples would have been as tall, or taller than a man and either carved from stone or made from precious metals. It is quite likely this weighed several hundred pounds. Yet, no one heard a crash during the night. There was no dramatic explosion involved. Instead, each night God just offered a quiet reminder of who was really God after all.

In my own mind, I go so far as to think that maybe God quietly smirked to himself as he did this. Enjoying his little prank on the Philistines as they come to see the condition of their "god."

From there God uses tumors, rats and more to get the Ark of the Covenant back to the Israelites....you know, some of the things we've come to expect. But this is just one of those moments where I love to see God's sense of humor, and even playful attitude on display.

Jesus and the crowds

Day 99
OT Reading: 1 Samuel 1-3
NT Reading: Luke 12:1-34

Has it been obvious that it's been harder for me to post lately? I'm still entirely up to date with reading...so that's not the issue. But for some reason it's just been more difficult for me to sit down and write. Sometimes because I'm not sure what to say, other days just because this is usually the last thing I do before bed. But I don't want either of you to worry ;-). I'm sticking with the reading, even if the snarky comments aren't coming quite as often.

One detail that jumped out to me today was the very first verse of Luke 12. There we read, "Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another..." Sometimes due to movies and my own mindset, I picture a decent crew...several dozen maybe...following Jesus around. But here Luke tells us that thousands of people were following Jesus. So many that it almost had a rock-concert like feel where you may have to be careful to ensure you don't get trampled over.

To have a thousand people show up to hear you speak today is noteworthy. To have it in Jesus' day would be downright astounding. Most villages along the countryside would have somewhere between 50-100 people. A typical rabbi might be teaching a dozen to twenty people once each week. Therefore Jesus must be pulling people not only from right where he's at, but people from towns, cities and villages all over must be coming to see what this man is doing.

If you can remember the movie Forest Gump, I'm reminded of the sequence where Forest runs back and forth across the United States several times. After a period of time he begins to gain a tremendous following, stretching several miles off into the distance. This is kind of how I envision the scene of the crowd following Jesus. Perhaps his disciples up near the front, with a giant entourage of people -- some committed, some curious -- following Jesus from one place to another.

But even more amazing to me was the approach Jesus took each time these large crowds gathered. Several times throughout the gospels we see Jesus draw a line in the sand issuing a difficult, controversial or unpopular teaching to determine who was along to be a follower, and who was just there for the show. Jesus never let the size of the crowds sway him from his purpose. Knowing how easy it is for me to get distracted...this sort of thing hits home. It is easy to become influenced by the love of the crowd, but it is important to, like Jesus, never let that deviate us from our purpose.

The end of Judges

Day 97

OT Reading: Judges 20-21

NT Reading: Luke 11: 1-28

I've always found the ending of the book of Judges to be rather odd. Perhaps odd isn't the right word. Maybe "curious" would work better. Regardless...Judges is quite peculiar in how it finishes. Let me explain.

I'm guessing that you have experienced some level of conflict with your relatives. You may have experienced disputes during holidays, perhaps grievances over inheritances, or frankly one of any number of scenarios that would cause tension among family members. But tell me, have you and your extended relatives ever gathered a few thousand people, taken up arms and decided to go to war with each other? Because that's basically what happened in the last few chapters of the book of Judges. In an effort to avenge the wrong done in Gibeah, thousands of fighting men go with the intent of wiping out the city and everything in it. Which, after a few tries, they succeed in doing.

Then comes "warrior's remorse"...or whatever we want to call it. The rest of Israel is in mourning because one of the tribes could potentially disappear.

Um...duh? Didn't you realize this could be the case before you went with the intent of wiping them out? But I digress...

So what do they do to fix the problem? They make arrangements for all the remaining Benjamites to have wives. Some through more traditional means, some by taking the "guy's choice" portion of a dance to an entirely new level.

Perhaps to the people of the day, these sorts of activities were common...ordinary. But in my 21st century American mindset, I admit that I find them flat-out odd.

Yet the one verse that always strikes me is the very last verse of Judges which reads, "In those days, Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." Other translations put it this way, "In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:21, ESV)

Based on that verse alone I could go into a lengthy discussion about how quickly Israel repeatedly strayed from God's commands, and how we often do the same. I could compare our current relativistic culture with that verse, making a statement on today's society. But I think you can get all that on your own. If I may, I'd like to ask you to underline that verse in your Bible. File it away in your memory. Memorize it if that helps. And just see how often you come across a situation in life where, like those in the time of the judges, individuals only do what is right in their own eyes.

The Good Samaritan

Day 96

OT Reading: Judges 18-19

NT Reading: Luke 10:25-42

The hero in Jesus' story was an unlikely one. Most people groups were just looked at as "impure Gentiles." The Samaritans however had the honorable distinction of being considered half-breeds. The Samaritans and Jews actually shared a common history (we'll see this as we continue through the Old Testament), but while the Jews kept their pure blood lines, the Samaritans mixed and were therefore considered vile. In fact, even though it added a tremendous amount of time to the journey, Jews would often go around Samaria when traveling from Judea to Galilee (see this map if you need help visualizing). Jews detested Samaritans. So when the Samaritan turns into the hero...this would have rubbed some people the complete wrong way.

And that was exactly the point. The "expert in the law" wanted to clarify (like a good lawyer) exactly where the line was when considering who was a "neighbor." Jesus in his response went against societal norms to say that your neighbor is not the person next door, or someone who has the same skin color, speaks the same language, wears the same style of clothes, comes from the same end of town or votes the same way you do. Your neighbor is anyone you see who is in need.

The expert in the law got the message. But more importantly, have you?

Love makes you blind...redefined.

Day 95

OT Reading: Judges 15-17

NT Reading: Luke 10:1-24

They say that love is blind. Of course I've yet to figure out who 'they' are. Nonetheless, if there were ever a Biblical character to serve as the poster child for this statement my vote would be for Samson.

Samson is a guy that has hacked off an entire nation of Philistines. If it were not for Samson, they'd probably be lording over the Israelites without too much effort involved. But this annoying guy named Samson seems to be single-handedly killing thousands of their soldiers and inflicting unspeakable amounts of financial loss on them. I have a feeling that if any one of the Philistines had taken Samson out alone, they would have returned to a heroes welcome and been heralded as one of the greatest of warriors. But since no one can, the Philistines try a much more deceitful approach...they use a woman.

Delilah is her name. And apparently Samson was just flat out dumb-struck head-over-heels for her. So if you'll excuse my ranting for a minute, there are a few things I'd like to say to Samson...man to man...friend to friend.

Really Samson? I mean...seriously??? Sure, you may be able to break me like a twig without even noticing I was ever there, and I'll certainly never beat you in arm wrestling...but someone has to be willing to stand up and say this. Can you seriously not tell that this woman is trying to get you killed? You don't find it the least bit odd that every time you give her an answer about the source of your strength, you find yourself in that very position the next day? And don't give me the, "no relationship is perfect" line. No, I may not have it all figured out, but I can honestly say that no woman I've ever dated has tried to kill me even once...much less multiple times. Here is a good rule of thumb to go by Samson, if she is more upset that you lied rather than elated that you survived...it's probably a good time to move on.

Perhaps what I would say to Samson would seem to be a bit on the irreligious side. But honestly, I can't help but shake my head at this guy.

One of the saddest of stories

Day 93

OT Reading: Judges 10-11

NT Reading: Luke 9:1-36

The story of Jephthah is, to me, one of the most sad stories in all the Bible. In my mind I'm sure he certainly thought that the first thing to come from his tent would be a pet or a sheep or something of the like. But in perhaps the most disturbing of all turns, the first thing to exit the tent was his one and only daughter.

Lots of questions run through my mind. Was this really God's will (I have trouble believing it was)? Did he really have to go through with it? Or don't you think God would have let this oath slide? Especially now that I have a child of my own, the thought of such a horrible turn of events is almost unbearable to me. But if I may, please allow me to offer a lesson we may learn from the passage.

In Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus speaks about making oaths. To paraphrase, Jesus states that we should be individuals of such integrity that simply our 'yes' or our 'no' is sufficient. Others should not require us to swear or promise or pledge or whatever in an effort to believe we'll follow through. While I can in no way condone Jephthah's action, it is apparent that his vow meant a great deal to him. In fact he saw it as a vow that could not be broken...which is why he kept it.

So in the midst of this terribly sad story, I suppose I'd like you to consider how much value you see in your own word. When you make a statement, or a promise or even say, 'yes'...how important is it for you to follow through? Where in the past have you fallen short in this (be it a relationship, work, an agreement, etc)? What steps may you need to take to validate or repair your integrity?

Catching up with a verse I love.

Day 92

OT Reading: Judges 8-9

NT Reading: Luke 8:22-56

So yes, it has been since mid-last week that I've posted. In case you're wondering I have been reading, as I stated in my one post while away. I just haven't really been posting anything. And frankly, it's impossible to pick just one thing to write about when so much has happened. I mean I could write about:

* the fact we've finished Joshua;

* 'Things you never realized were in the Bible - part 2.' I love the story of Ehud and Eglon in Judges 3...but mainly for grotesque reasons;

* a female judge (Deborah - Judges 4);

* the parable of the soils (Check out yesterday's sermon for more info if you so desire);

* all sorts of cosmology-related items that we learn about Jesus' encounter with the demon-possessed man;

* what in the world 'cosmology' is (hint: it in no way involves beauty school);

* and much, much more.

But instead of trying to cram a ton into this space, let me offer one verse that has stood out to me since I came across it last week. I even underlined it in my Bible (which, in case no one has told you, is completely acceptable to do). It's found back in Joshua 21:45 which reads, "Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled."

I find this verse poignant because of how we may pray for something for a few days and if we see no movement we begin to wonder if God is listening. For centuries the people of God had waited to receive the land God had promised their father Abraham. And finally, God fulfilled that very promise. Many had lived and died never getting to see this promise fulfilled. Yet even though it was not in a time frame most of the Israelites would have preferred, God came through.

Perhaps you need to underline that verse in your Bible, and re-read it next time you wonder if God is listening, or if He'll come through for you.

Just in case you're curious...

I haven't posted the last couple days as I'm visiting family in Ohio. Also we enjoyed a nice trip to Cedar Point yesterday. But I am still reading and pressing on. I just haven't been posting as my internet access is limited (and posting from my phone is a bit cumbersome). See you all when I get back.

More questions, not less.

Day 86

OT Reading: Joshua 19-20

NT Reading: Luke 5:17-39

A long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away), I believed that the more I studied the Bible; the more degrees I accumulated and the more I spent time picking apart the Word, the fewer questions I'd have. However time and experience have taught me that quite the opposite is true.

Have a lot of my questions been answered? Certainly. In fact, I'm more certain about the inspiration of the Bible, the humanity and deity of Jesus, miracles, etc than I have ever been. Yet what I've found is that with every question I answer, two or three more seem to arise. Perhaps it's due to continued curiosity or perhaps it's just that I realize not everything is cut and dry. In an early post I said that sometimes my writing would be more about questions that I have instead of items that stood out...and today is one of those days.

Today in the gospel of Luke we read a familiar story. In fact I blogged on it when we read the same account in Mark's gospel. Yet for a long time one statement has stood out to me that I wonder about. In the second-half of Luke 5:17 we read this, "And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick." My question is...what does that mean?

Was Luke trying to point out something special by stating this? Were these extra-special miracles? Some would argue that Jesus only did miracles at certain times (this being one). What is this statement there for? A quick study of various commentaries showed me that the phrase is unique to Luke...and that's it. In fact, my brief study did not shed any light on what the author's intended meaning was here.

So I'm pretty much left where I started. And you know what? That's ok. I don't believe it would dramatically impact my theology in any way, and frankly the reason most don't mention it may be because they're not sure either. But regardless, I'll keep asking questions, searching for answers, and only occasionally finding them. And that's all part of the fun journey of learning about the Word of God.

Having no idea

Day 85
OT Reading: Joshua 16-18
NT Reading: Luke 5:1-16


Following Jesus' request here would have been a bit of a joke. In fact, it's almost ridiculous what He asked Peter to do. Allow me to explain.


Not sure if you caught it, but back in verse two we see that the men were washing their nets. While this may not sound like much, it was a process that took hours worth of time to complete. But it had to be done...otherwise in the short-term the nets would not be clean for the following night, and in the long-term the continual lack of care could ruin the nets. And after washing the nets once, you certainly wouldn't want to have to do it again.

If Peter obeys Jesus, that's exactly what he'll have to do.

Then there was the fact that Peter had been fishing all his life. It's quite possible that Peter even came from generations of men who fished on these very same waters; passing down tricks and trade secrets to those next in line. Peter would have known when and where to fish. And he would have certainly known that you fish at night, not during the day. He also would have known that you fish in shallower waters, not deep waters. Jesus obviously had not been out on many fishing trips. And honestly, Jesus had been a carpenter. If Peter had a question about building a table, Jesus would have been the one to go to. But fishing? This was Peter's game.

And yet, Jesus told Peter, "Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch." (Luke 5:4, NIV)

And really, Peter had no idea what rested upon this decsion about whether or not to follow Jesus. He had no idea that thousands of years later we'd be reading a story about him cleaning his nets. Peter had no idea that people all over the world would name their kids after him. He had no idea that giant cathedrals would be built in his honor. He had no idea that cities would bear his name. He had no idea that he would be one of the first leaders in a history-changing paradigm-shifting world-wide movement. At this point Peter had no idea that any of that was going to take place.

And yet, without any certainty of the result, without any proof of God's activity, without the request making any sense, Peter replied to Jesus, "But because you say so, I will let down the nets." (Luke 5:5, NIV)

When in your life have you felt God calling you to move in a way that just didn't make sense? When has everything in you screamed for absolute proof that things would turn out? When has God asked you to step out on faith, even when you had no idea of the result? When have you been wiling to say, "God it doesn't make se. I don't get it. But because you say so...I'll do what you ask." Because the fact is, you have no idea the impact that one decision may have.

Details, details.

Day 84

OT Reading: Joshua 14-15

NT Reading: Luke 4:33-44

If you've been with me from the beginning of this journey, you may recall how I encouraged you to skim when coming across long lists of names and places. Hopefully you did remember, as Joshua 15 would have been the perfect time to enact such an approach. Yes, the list was very important to those living in that day. By looking at this they would understand the boundaries of each tribe and clan's inheritance as they were established. But to those of us who live 3,000+ years removed and half a world away...these are not important details to us. However I'm fairly certain that I want to avoid 'Scorpion Pass' (verse 3 in case you missed it).

But there is one detail I hope you didn't miss. Perhaps you consider this doctrinally irrelevant, perhaps not. Perhaps I only gravitate towards writing about it due to my odd affinity for random pieces of information. But regardless, did you notice a detail about Peter as you read today's passage in Luke? Luke 4:38 spoke of how Jesus went to the home of Peter's mother-in-law. Meaning Peter was married.

This of course raises a ton of curiosity-oriented questions for me. I'd love to know what Peter's wife had to say about all these activities, I'd love to know how she felt when Peter told her about walking on water (John 6) or when he preached on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). There are just a ton of questions I'd love to know the answers to.

As I said, perhaps to you that's old news, and perhaps it is irrelevant. But one way or another you know assuredly know one more thing about the apostle Peter.

You can never go home again...

Day 83

OT Reading: Joshua 11-13

NT Reading: Luke 4:1-32

General rule of thumb: people who changed your diaper, watched you in elementary school plays or witnessed you go through the awkwardness of puberty generally do not want your opinion...much less when it involves serious subjects like sex, money, relationships or religion.

Jesus experienced this first hand when he went back to Nazareth, his own hometown. Instead of people being thrilled to see him, excited that their native son was making a name for himself...they decided to run him out of town. They even tried to throw him off a cliff when he got a bit too personal.

Jesus' response? "I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own home town." (Luke 4:14, NIV)

So have you ever been in that situation? I don't mean, in a synagogue reading from the public scroll and declaring your own Messiahship, but in a situation where you try to give wise advise or council to someone you've known forever and end up receiving an adverse reaction. Typically this seems to occur when speaking to someone who knew you a long time ago: parent, sibling, cousin, friend, that lady from two doors down whose cat you shaved once as a teenager. But instead of being open to your words, you receive a roll of the eyes, changing of the subject or even a verbal shot reminding you of something you did years ago. But regardless of the cues and reactions one thing is clear: your message was not received.

This was the sort of reaction that Jesus faced. These are the individuals who knew Jesus since he was a little boy. They likely saw him work along side his adopted earthly father Joseph swinging hammers and pounding nails. They had watched him grow up with his other brothers, playing with their own kids, and now...they just could not believe what they were hearing.

So don't be surprised if you find yourself in a similar situation...in a place that looks like home but is making you feel like a foreigner. Because the fact is, Jesus faced this very thing himself.

Sometimes a joy...sometimes a pain.

Day 82

OT Reading: Joshua 9-10

NT Reading: Luke 3

If you've been around me long you know that I run. For fun. No seriously, I am one of those people who love training for things like half and full marathons (13.1 and 26.2 miles respectively). To this point in my life I've run five "halfs" and four "fulls" all because I love to run. I love the challenge. I love the activity. I love the aura of a big race. Much of the year I even love lacing up my shoes and putting in miles - some days running anywhere between 12-20 - all as I take in the beauty of creation, and unplug from the everyday. To me running is typically a joy.

I say "typically" because lately, that's been different. I'm not entirely certain on the numbers, but I'm pretty sure we've been averaging something like 1,247 degrees outside. Therefore if I'm going to train...if I'm going to run and stay in shape, I either need to get up very early (denying myself some much-loved sleep) or run in the middle of the day with an ambulance tailing me.

Lately, running has not been a joy. It has not been fun. In fact, it's been a nothing but a pain. A hot, tiring, exhausting, annoying P-A-I-N. Most days I want to want to run...but one glance outside and the desire is gone.

But the reality is that if I want to stay in shape; if I want to complete a certain distance or set a personal record (PR) or just feel good about my fitness, I have to run. In order to be a better runner, I have to have the discipline to run...even when it's not fun, even when it's not comfortable, even when it's not convenient.

The same can be said about our daily readings. Reading the Bible is a spiritual discipline. And there will be times when you're fired up, excited and just digging into the Word. During these times it will almost be as though you and God are likethis and you just cannot get enough of what the Bible has to say. But on the other hand there will be other times when you just press on; reading even though you don't really feel like it. At times it may not be fun, it may not be comfortable and it may not even be convenient. But still you press on. Not because God will smite you down if you don't, but because you know that there will be a tremendous benefit in the end if you do. By pressing on and practicing this spiritual discipline of Bible reading, you can grow in your knowledge and understanding about who God is and what He desires from you.

So sure...being disciplined is often not fun. In fact, a lot of times it's a drudge. But we press on, understanding that there is a benefit in the end, if we do not give up.

Want to read more about the spiritual disciplines? Richard Foster has a classic work out entitled Celebration of Discipline dealing with this very topic. While I don't agree with every point he makes (as is typical with any book), overall it's a fantastic way to understanding more about the spiritual exercises you can incorporate into your own life.

Rahab, part 2 -- An Unlikely heroine

Day 80

OT Reading: Joshua 4-6

NT Reading: Luke 2:1-24

If we picked heroes of the Bible like we pick teams for kickball...Rahab would have been chosen last. In fact, it's quite possible that the teams would have gone out and left her standing there all by herself. Granted we read her story and think it's a nice little tale, but consider the following:

* She was a woman. Shocking statement to make, I know. But the truth is that during this time most cultures viewed women more as property than people. For instance, the testimony of a woman often was dismissed from legal proceedings. So to have a woman as the example of faith and heroism...that was a switch.

* She was a foreigner. In other words, she wasn't of the right blood line and one of the "in" crowd. If you haven't noticed, the Israelites wanted to pretty much keep to themselves and didn't play nice with the surrounding nations (partly because of what God told them would happen if they started following said nations). This feeling ran so deep that during the time of Jesus it was said that a typical Jewish man would thank God every day for two things. One, that he was not a woman. And two, that he was not a gentile. Of course it's debated which "fate" they would have considered worse.

* She was a prostitute. Did ya catch that little part? Seriously...a prostitute. Sure that may be the oldest profession in the history of the world (so I'm told), but prostitutes are not generally held up as examples of godliness.

Put these items together and Rahab becomes unlikely to receive the role of "example of faith" for most people. Yet, that's exactly what we see. And oh, by the way, this same Rahab - the gentile prostitute - ends up being an ancestor of Jesus (Matthew 1:5). This same woman is used to bring about God's promised Messiah into the world.

So what does all this tell us? Well the fact is that each time we run into a new Bible character, it's often apparent that each one has flaws (except for Jesus). Each one messes up, each one falls, and often God uses the most unlikely of individuals to achieve His purpose.

So with that in mind let me ask, what's the thing in your life you feel may be disqualifying you from doing something great for God? Because what we'll see over and over is that God uses ordinary, average, messed up people like you and me to do something extraordinary for Him.

Rahab, part 1 -- An example of faith

Day 79

OT Reading: Joshua 1-3

NT Reading: Luke 1:57-80

For those of us thousands of years removed, and knowing how the rest of the story goes, Rahab's choice is simple. We tell Rahab, "Trust in God...that's how things turn out well for you." But Rahab didn't have the luxury of reading her own story in a nice leather-bound best-seller. Rahab had to make a choice...one that could not have been easy.

On one hand Jericho was home to Rahab. She lived there, worked there and her family was there. And if the Israelites succeeded in their attempt to overtake Jericho, it is quite likely that all her friends, neighbors, most everyone she knew...would be killed.

But she had heard about what the God of these Israelites had done. She had heard about how he parted the Red Sea, she had heard about different nations that had been overthrown. She had heard a great deal about Israel and their God, even though she did know him. If she helps their spies and they succeed, she and her family will live. But if she's discovered...or if Israel's conquest of this fortified city fails, she'll likely be executed.

Ultimately (as you'll read) Rahab chooses to trust in the God of Israel, even though she did not know him. And while she could not read the rest of the story, she had faith that by following and being obedient to Him, things would ultimately work out.

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see."

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

Funny thing...we like all the details worked out and the risk removed from any action that we might take. Yet, we see faith acting in just the opposite way. Even though, like Rahab, we don't know how things are going to turn out, we simply trust that God will accomplish what is best.

So ask yourself, when was the last time you made a decision, not based on having a fool-proof plan or completely secure logic, but based on the fact that you will trust God even when you have no idea how things will turn out?

Back on track...with a touch of controversy

Day 78

OT Reading: Deuteronomy 33-34

NT Reading: Luke 1:24-56

Ok...I admit it. I made it 75 days, reading every single day. I'd fight back sleep, I've gotten back out of bed, I've read from random Bibles that happened to be nearby and even on my iPhone. But on day 76...I missed my reading. Not only that, I missed day 77 too! So there you go, I made it that far, but have officially missed days. So today I did three days worth of reading to catch up. So don't feel too guilty if you've missed a day here and there. I can easily say we've all done it :-).

As for the readings, we've finished Deuteronomy (PRAISE JESUS!) as well as the Gospel of Mark, and there is a lot of material that is swimming through my head right now. From all that, there is a great deal that I could write on. But I suppose I'll stick with just one item. But...I'll make it just slightly controversial to make it up to you.

As you were reading, you probably saw a line in your Bible (it may have been a footnote in your translation) after Mark 16:8 which reads something like, "Earliest and most reliable manuscripts do not contain Mark 16:9-20." Well for some this will be thisclose to heresy, while for others this will not be a big deal. But I, Mark Messmore, personally think verses 9-20 were not written by Mark and were in fact added later. What's more, if it were up to me...I'd remove them.

If you were in the class I taught at CCJ last spring (or listened to it on the CCJ podcast) on the Gospel of Mark, you've heard me voice my opinion on this matter before. And I do in fact have my reasons which I'll be glad to discuss - if, say, I got a comment requesting backup for my position ;-). But from what I see and understand, I don't believe they belong.

That being said, I'm not dogmatic about it. You can completely disagree with me on this matter and we still both go to heaven. As long as you're not basing an entire doctrine or a big piece of your theology on one of these verses alone, I don't have a problem with you accepting them. Just know that I personally question their authenticity and won't likely be referencing any of them in a sermon any time soon :-).

The many details of Mark 15

Day 75

OT Reading: Deuteronomy 28

NT Reading: Mark 15:27-47

Mark 15 is just littered with details regarding the events leading up to and involving the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Here I'd just like to hit rapid-fire style a number of items we see.

15:1 - "Very early in the morning"

It was actually illegal according to Jewish law to have a trial take place during the night. Therefore even since they had been meeting for some time, it seems that the Sanhedrin took recess then came back to have their "official" trial at first light. That way they wouldn't technically be breaking the law...well...that one at least.

15:1 - "Handed him over to Pilate"

We see that it was Pilate's custom to meet with the people and settle disputes before noon. And since according to Roman law the Jews could not convict someone to die, they needed Roman approval.

15:2 - " 'Are you the King of the Jews?' asked Pilate. 'Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied."

The literal response of Jesus that Mark records would read, "the designation is yours." In other words to answer Pilate's question Jesus essentially says, "Hey...you said it, not me." Thereby affirming his answer...while not officially affirming his answer. Well played Jesus...well played.

15:6 - "Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner..."

Outside of this reference we do not read anything else about this custom in first-century area of Palestine. We do, however, see this sort of custom played out in many of the surrounding regions. Therefore it's not hard to see how it would take place here as well.

15:7, Barabbas...the insurrectionist

Outside of what we see in the Bible, we know nothing more of the particular uprising Barabbas was a part of. They were pretty common in Judea, so it's hard to say what happened. But with this example we further get the idea that Pilate wanted to return Jesus given the violent alternative he offers.

15:15, "Wanting to satisfy the crowd..."

Pilate was a pretty ruthless character, and this got him into some trouble with the locals as well as back in Rome. But more than one local leader had been replaced if they did not have the ability to keep riots and uprisings from happening. So, wanting to try to appease this crowd, Pilate relents.

15:16-20, The soldiers mock Jesus

The fact is, there were a lot better places in the Roman empire to be stationed than here in Judea. The weather wasn't all that great and the locals were often a tremendous amount of trouble and hassle. So these soldiers take a bit of pleasure in beating one who claims to be their king.

15:20, Jesus led out to be crucified

This was not a short trip. On this journey the crossbeam of the cross (called the patibulum) would be placed on the condemned man's back and he would be beaten as he walked to where he'd ultimately die. The route went through some of the busiest parts of town, showing off what happened to those who crossed the Roman empire as well as allowing bystanders to spit on and mock the condemned.

15:21, Simon forced to carry the cross

By Roman law a soldier could, at will, enlist a civilian to carry something for one mile. This could be his armor, supplies, or in this case...a condemned man's cross.

15:24, Cast lots for Jesus clothing.

Those carrying out the crucifixion would get to split the clothing or whatever other possessions the condemned man had on him at the time of his arrest. But in doing this, they unintentionally fulfilled a prophesy about what would happen to the Messiah (Psalm 22:18).

15:26, The written notice

It was common to write the offense of the condemned and post it above his head so that everyone would see the terrible crime(s) he committed.

15:27, They crucified two robbers with him

Since it was the Roman practice to crucify together those who had been involved in the same act, it's quite possible that these two had been in league with Barabbas.

15:34, "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice..."

Two details. One, Jesus was only on the cross for six hours. Typically death by crucifixion took days...it was designed to extract the most amount of pain and humiliation possible. Pilate even is surprised by Jesus' quick death. Second, Jesus cried out in a loud voice. Most deaths by crucifixion were by someone suffocating. This was not the case with Jesus as he would not have been able to cry out in such a loud voice.

15:43, Joseph of Arimathea

Being a prominent member of the council, it would have made political sense for Joseph to keep his faith in Jesus a secret. However by asking for Jesus' body that's no longer an option. Joseph takes a bold stand in doing this.

There sure is a lot of polygamy...

Day 73

OT Reading: Deuteronomy 23-25

NT Reading: Mark 14:53-72

So let me get this straight...

If a man marries a woman, then dies without a son, his brother has to marry the widow to make sure that his (the now deceased man) name is continued.

Yep. That's about right.

To us, that seems really, REALLY weird. To most of us the idea of polygamy or even marrying someone's brother-in-law just seems to be ridiculously out of the question. In fact, if our understanding of the New Testament is right, God seems to indicate that a man should be the husband of just one wife (1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1). So...why is all this happening? Is it really ok or did God just change his mind somewhere along the way?

This is a fairly common question, especially when we deal with Old Testament topics. So I'll do my best to deal with what all was happening.

1. God never condones polygamy. No where in the Old Testament (at least...if it's there I haven't found it) does God explicitly say that having multiple wives is ok. So in a sense God is kind of just tolerating this sort of activity during this time. And really, we'll see that God tolerating man's actions isn't really uncommon.

When we get to 1 Samuel we'll see the nation of Israel ask for a king. God assures them they don't need a king and actually has Samuel lists off all sorts of reasons that having anyone besides God as their king is a bad idea. Yet as the people persist God basically says, "Ok...you wanted it. You've got it."

Now as it turns out, everything that God predicted through Samuel happened (go figure). But God let them have what they asked for. Here God doesn't directly condemn the activity nor condone the activity, but simply deals with the way things are operating. And at the time this practice was common among all the surrounding cultures.

2. The people believed they were obeying God's first command. If you remember back to the very beginning in Genesis God commanded Adam and Eve to "be fruitful and multiply." But at the time he didn't qualify "with only one person." So it didn't take too long for people (men I'm guessing) to determine that there might be a more "efficient" way to fulfill that command (and that sounds like how a man would say it). Granted, I wouldn't want to try to have that sort of conversation with my wife...(Happy Anniversary again by the way honey) but to these guys it was all part of obeying God.

3. The Israelites had a different view of living eternally. So far through our readings while we may have references to "God's kingdom lasting forever" and the like, there has been no official mention of heaven to this point. As it turns out our view of heaven and hell has developed as our understanding and knowledge of God has developed. To the Israelites...don't miss this...their understanding of living forever, was through their offspring. This, of course, made child bearing one of the most important actions that one could undertake. So for them, the more kids I can have, the more I can live on.

Does that mean that God's ok with this, as some groups may claim? No. I don't believe so. Like everything if we limit what portions of the Bible we look at, we can find a Scriptural basis for just about anything. But as we take a more holistic view of the Bible we see that marriage was not developed just so women could pop out babies and to keep men from shacking up with whomever they wanted in the name of "following God's command." But the entirety of Scripture shows us how intimate this sort of relationship is to be. So intimate that God chose the marriage relationship to be the illustration of the relationship that exists between Christ and his church. And that is not a concept to be ignored or downplayed.

But yes...as we go on...there sure is a whole lot of marrying going on.

Who was that?

Day 72

OT Reading: Deuteronomy 20-22

NT Reading: Mark 14:26-52

The Gospel of Mark, like all the gospels, has its own unique features, one of which we read today. In the later part of chapter 14 during the scene of Jesus' arrest we read this:

A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

Mark 14:51-52 (NIV)

None of the other gospels include this little detail, which leads us to ask the question, "What was this all about?"

In reality we don't know. There is no definitive answer to be found in the Bible or in history about exactly who it was or why the detail was included. But church tradition leads us to believe that this man who ran off naked...was none other than...the gospel writer Mark himself.

And that seems to make some sense. I mean, nobody else finds it important enough to mention, but if I were there I would love to get a bit of my own story in. And frankly the story isn't a flattering one, so we'll just call the guy "a young man" instead of putting my own name out there. It's like going to the doctor or a counselor or a minister to tell him about a problem your "friend" has.

Is it relevant to anything? Not really. Though I'm positive entire sermons have been made out of that little detail. I just find it as an interesting little addition in the Biblical narrative.

Can I trust the Bible? -- Part 3

Day 71

OT Reading: Deuteronomy 17-19

NT Reading: Mark 14:1-25

Over the last couple days I've been dealing with a lot of the big questions and hesitations most people offer when considering whether or not to trust the Bible. I see today's topic as a more informative one than persuasive one. Yet since I often get this question I figured here may be the best place to deal with it.

How exactly did we get the Bible?

As we've stated, the Bible was penned by over 40 authors residing on three different continents over a period of 1500 years. And contrary to what some believe, it did not descend from heaven in a nice, leather-bound study edition with the words of Jesus in red-lettering. But instead took a much, much longer journey.

The Old Testament

Depending on the date of the exodus from Egypt, the actual writing of the Old Testament took somewhere between 800-1100 years. It is generally believed that Moses was the one to pen a majority of the first five books of the Old Testament and that he had received his information either from God himself (I mean...Moses did spend a lot of time talking with the Guy up on those mountains) or through oral tradition. These writings were the beginning of a practice writing down the teachings, instructions, history and prophecies that occurred in Israel that continued for centuries until the writing of Malachi around the year 400 B.C.

Regarding the Old Testament, there really was not a lot of debate as to which ones were accepted and which were not. For centuries the Israelites understood their "Bible" to consist of:

The Law: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

The Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the 12 minor prophets

The Writings: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles

To the Hebrews, this wasn't a debated issue, it was an accepted issue about which books had been passed down from generation to generation and were deemed part of their canon (a big fancy theological word meaning the books they accepted as inspired). There was one council in 90 A.D. in a city called Jamnia to discuss whether the canon was closed (i.e. no new books) or open (i.e. we welcome new books). Scholars disagree on the level of importance this council actually held, but from this council did come a decree that the Jewish scriptures were in fact "closed."

The New Testament

The New Testament, however, was written in a much more abbreviated amount of time. While Jesus in fact lived from about the year 4 B.C. (yes...seriously but I can discuss that another time if you like :-) ) to around the year 29 A.D., the apostles began to pen the words of the gospels and letters several years later. Our best estimates place the earliest letters written around 50 A.D. with the last letter (Revelation) being penned around the year 95 A.D, and the gospels being written in the 60's.

The New Testament is much more of a hot-button topic. Turn on the History Channel or walk through the aisles of your local bookstore and you'll likely hear about the "lost books of the Bible" or the ones that "were not accepted by the church." Well in the years following Jesus' death and the growth of the New Testament church, there came an influx of writings about Jesus. Some were legitimate, some were falsified, most were given the name of some already-known biblical character (Thomas, Barnabas, Mary Magdalene, etc.) So who decided what made the cut?

Well, to make it into the canon, a writing had to pass the following tests:

1. Can we verify it was written by someone close to Jesus?

One may think that this refers to just those works written by the apostles, except that several letters and books were written by non-apostles. People like Luke, Mark, James and Jude all had direct contact with the work and life of Jesus and therefore their writings were considered authoritative.

2. Does it fit an appropriate timeline to have been written by those connected to Jesus?

Can we trace this work back to the time of the apostles or did it show up a couple hundred years later (as many of the works did)?

3. Is this writing Christ-centered?

The Bible is about Jesus. If a writing was not focused on Him, it did not belong.

4. Is this writing consistent with the Jesus that we know?

In one of these writings is a story about Jesus creating clay pigeons and bringing them to life...mainly because he was bored. I'm not saying Jesus couldn't do that. But in every situation I understand, Jesus' miracles are for a reason. Along these same lines, it was quite common for people to write stories about Jesus acting or teaching certain things, to support their own positions and philosophies (not that anyone would ever do that).

That's by no means an exhaustive criteria, but I think you get the point. While several independent groups created their own lists, in 325 A.D. the council of Nicea declared what we have in our New Testament today to be the final, authoritative message from God.

I hope discovering that the Bible was not delivered by an angel or discovered in a field in a never-before-heard-of-language does not shake your faith in what you read. As we saw yesterday each decision was not made hastily, but instead with a great amount of thought, discussion and prayer before coming to a final determination.

There is a great deal more that could be said, but considering my eyes are crossing already and I believe it's time for me to wrap up this post for the night. Yet I want you to know that I welcome any further questions about this or any topic we may cover. I in fact know of several angles in each of the last three posts that I intentionally did not cover due to space and time. But I hope that through understanding the thought, care, concern and attention to detail that has been dedicated to this very book for the last 3,500 years, you can come to see it as an accurate, reliable witness and testimony to the Truth that is Jesus Christ. But perhaps even more than that, you can see the power the story of Jesus carries even to this day and how drastically someone's life can change by the reading and understanding of the Bible. That, my friends, is the most convincing evidence that I can offer.

Can I trust the Bible? -- Part 2

Day 70

OT Reading: Deuteronomy 14-16

NT Reading: Mark 13:14-37

Can I really trust the Bible? It's a question that I'm betting you already have an opinion about...most people do. And yesterday I began a multi-post series dealing with what I perceive to be the most common hesitations regarding the trustworthiness of the Bible.

Of course if I do not answer a major question that you've had posed to you, feel free to comment here, on Facebook, or shoot me an email and I'll either answer it directly, or include it in this series. How many posts will this entail? I haven't quite figured that out yet. We'll see how quickly I (or you) get tired of it :-).

The Bible has been translated and re-translated. How can I trust that what I'm reading is accurate?

This is an excellent question...whether being asked from pure motives or not. If in fact this book was written between 2,000 and 3,500 years ago, how do I have any assurance that what I'm reading in my particular English version is actually what God wants me to know? While there are a number of avenues I could take to dealing with this question, I think tonight I'll very briefly touch on the transmission of the text through the years, and the modern day translation of our nice leather-bound English versions.

Exactly how the Biblical texts were passed on from one generation to the next changed over the course of several centuries and millennia. Between cultural changes, technological changes in paper (parchment vs. papyri vs. scrolls) inks and more...significant change happened between generations that impacted how the Bible was copied.

To be fair, a complete depiction of the past several millennia, from the earliest oral traditions to now, would easily fill multiple books. But the one thing I want you to understand, the one feature consistent from one generation to the next, regardless of the location, time or technology was the commitment to accurately pass on the Word of God.

Allow me to offer an example. As I understand it, typical transcription happened with one individual at the front of the room, reading a text, while the trained, professional scribes each penned their own copy. Here was the kicker. These scribes had developed intricate processes to ensure that no mistakes had been made in their copies. For instance, Scribes knew not only how many words should be on a page, but how many letters there were and where those letters should fall. So at certain times, the scribes would stop and count, lining up their pages, counting numbers and letters to ensure that they were right on track.

Then, if a page were discovered to have a mistake, that page would immediately be burned. Scribes were not ok with manuscript they knew to be 99% accurate, textual purity was considered a non-negotiable as they were dealing with nothing less than the very word of God. This is the type of scene we see played out across a myriad of cultures, times and locations as each held in high importance the transmission of the message of Jesus.

But what about all that translation? I mean...how much was lost in all that?

Another great question. And one that would especially be valid if the Bible had been translated through five or six different languages before appearing in the seats at our church. The advantage we have today, however is that archeology has produced for us a number of reliable copies from the original languages, Hebrew and Greek. So for those uber-scholars in the room, they can pick up a Greek or Hebrew copy and read it for themselves.

But what about the rest of us...the ones who cannot read Hebrew or Greek? Well first off let me assure you, I'm there with you. I did take two years of Greek, and while I know a little more than most, my Greek knowledge has basically disappeared into the same parts of my brain that had to memorize the inner-workings of the earthworm. So I don't have a significant head-start here. But there are a couple general ideas I'd like to point out about all this:

1. A majority of the translations we have on the shelves today are well done. These are translations done by people who have Ph.D's in classical languages. Not just one or two, but dozens and dozens of them all working together to achieve an accurate, reliable translation for you and me. Early on I did a post about the translations of the Bible, and I talked a little about why differences exist between say an NLT and an NIV. So if you're curious, feel free to take a peek there. Just know that each word choice has been made with thought, discussion and prayer.

2. If you know anything about foreign languages, you understand that rarely does a translation go perfectly from one language to the next. It's just the nature of language. Most of the time you can get awfully close. Many times there will be no significant change in meaning. However we just need to realize there will be times when we have a difficult translation. This is another reason for variations between English translations. Even though the end result often does not have a great impact on how we would understand and apply the text.

In short, since the Bible first started to be penned people have understood the magnitude of the words that they were copying. These were not just words in a letter from a family member, these were instructions, tales, encouragement and admonishment from the very Creator. And from the beginning individuals have taken weighty measures to ensure accurate, reliable transmission of this text to the next generation so that we too would be able to read these very words of God.

If you'd like to know more, feel free to ask questions or I can offer suggestions on articles/books detailing more information about how the Bible has been treated/translated over the years.

Tomorrow's topic: How exactly did we get the Bible?