So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” - Isaiah 6:5

The closer that I get to God; the more aware I am of my sinful state. Perhaps that is why (and maybe you, too) are reluctant to devote more “one-on-one” time with the Almighty.

It makes sense that the “unbeliever” would shun the God’s presence, since the illumination of His Spirit brings conviction and presses for a conscious response to the grace of God: Repentance or rejection (John 3:20; John 16:8,9). However, Biblical Christians - who recognize communion with Christ as the remedy for past, present and future sin - should gladly run to Him when they are so much as tempted.

May I get to the point where the knowledge and awareness of my unholiness compels me to passionately seek the life of Christ as the only rest for my soul (Psalm 42:1,2; Matt. 11:28,29).

If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God. – Deut. 21:22, 23

I am probably not the first to notice this, but I think it odd – fascinating, rather, that instructions are given regarding what to do with the body of a man executed by means of hanging on a tree, yet, stoning is the method always mentioned for capital offences in the Mosaic Law (Lev. 20:27; 24:14; 14:16; Deut. 13:10; 17:5; 21:21; 22:21; 22:24).

Now, there is an instance in which God commanded death by hanging in Numbers 23, but this was in response to a particular situation, and not prescribed as law. Furthermore, it is stated that when certain offenders were pursued and thrust through with a javelin, God’s anger was appeased.

So, the oddity remains that, in the text of the law, there are rules for handling the body of a man executed by hanging on a tree (specifically a tree), when the method of execution prescribed by the law is always stoning. Could this be prophetic of Messiah’s death (Gal. 3:13)? If Christ had not been buried the day of His death, He would not have been buried and raised again on the third day, according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3, 4).

Just a couple of weeks ago I was in Israel on Shavuot – the Feast of Weeks. I was on a tour that day, and one of the tour guides recalled the words of a speaker who once contrasted the Islamic view of the future with that of the Bible. According to the Hadith, “The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say, “O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him.” (Sahih Bukhari 4:52:177). This is in stark contrast to the words the Bible, which foretell, “He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4).

After those words, I reflected upon the events of Shavuot, following the Resurrection of Christ:

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs–we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” - Acts 2:1-11

That day the Gospel went out to men of many languages. From Jerusalem, the message of forgiveness and redemption has gone out to Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the Earth. The future Kingdom of God will include those “out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). For in Christ, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female” (Galatians 3:28). Critics often decry that Christianity is “exclusive.” On the contrary, the Scriptures recognize that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23) and that “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).

“For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall.” – Psalm 18:29

Time to pick on an English word, or rather, its usage. In all of my learning, troop refers to a group of individuals assembled for a purpose or action. I once belonged to a Boy Scout troop. It can also be used of an informal multitude of persons, such as, “While the bell was still ringing, a troop of children poured out of the classroom.”

In military parlance, a troop is “an armored cavalry or cavalry unit consisting of two or more platoons and a headquarters group” [1], or “A unit of cavalry, armored vehicles, or artillery in a European army, corresponding to a platoon in the U.S. Army.” [2] However, it seems to me that, since the onset of military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, media now use “troop” now refers to a single soldier. For example, “U.S. offers $200,000 in search for lost troops”, and “Baghdad ‘Surge’ Moves Forward as Search for Missing Troops Continues.”

Is this the result of the U.S Army’s “An Army of One” advertising campaign, a device of anti-war media outlets to exaggerate losses, or something less sinister (but more insidious) like pure carelessness with the English language? Language history decries that if a word comes to mean nothing in particular, then it means nothing at all.

Whether we call them soldiers, troops, or simply heroes, I am thankful for those who risk their own lives to protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for others. May God bless them.

[1] “troop.” Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 18 May. 2007. .
[2] “troop.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 18 May. 2007. .

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. – John 5:39

While driving to work this Monday, I was praying for the ministry of The Gideons International. As I thought about the importance of getting the Bible into the hands of those who have never even seen one, I was reminded of Sunday’s devotion in my favorite devotional, My Utmost for His Highest. It contains the reminder that “We are not asked to believe the Bible, but to believe the One Whom the Bible reveals.”

Of course, if we didn’t believe the Bible, then we wouldn’t believe its revelation. You can’t disbelieve a witness and simultaneously accept their testimony. The point, then, must be that although faith comes from hearing the Word of God, salvation and eternal life are found in Christ.

In Christendom, we sometimes (not as much as in years past) talk about the importance of memorizing Scripture. I usually have more respect for someone who knows the Bible well. However, as the first-century Pharisees demonstrated, it is possible to know the Bible without knowing Jesus. The Scriptures were given not for our intellectual growth, but that we might know the One Who gave them.

The Psalmist wrote, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!” (Psalm 119:11). He was not concerned with simply learning techniques for living a righteous life, but guarding his relationship with God. God has given His Word that we might know Him more and more.

God, help me not to be satisfied with simply knowing the Scriptures, but cause them to make me hunger and thirst for You.