We are the incarnation of grace,
Radiance in this darkened place,
Hope where hope has been erased,
We are the incarnation of grace.

We are the aroma of the risen Christ,
His presence to the estranged and enticed,
His victory to those locked in sin’s vice,
We are the aroma of the risen Christ. 

We are His hands offering assistance,
His proximity to those kept at a distance.
His strength to those with no resistance,
We are His hands offering assistance.

We are His defense to those under attack,
His feet to those off the beaten track,
The rear-guard for those lingering back,
We are His defense to those under attack.

We are the incarnation of grace,
Radiance in this darkened place,
Hope where hope has been erased,
We are the incarnation of grace.

We’ve been studying the book of Ruth on Sunday mornings in church. There were a few things that stuck with me in today’s study of chapter 3. All (human) credit to our pastor for these thoughts.

THE GOOD

(well, as in, good joke)

After Boaz goes to sleep on the threshing floor, Ruth goes to him, uncovers his feet and lies down. Verse 8 tells us that “at midnight that the man was startled”, woke up and saw Ruth there. The Hebrew word translated “startled” is better translated as “shivered”, which probably was caused by the fact that his feet were uncovered.

And so here we have Biblical proof that for thousands of years, women have been stealing the covers from their husbands.

THE BAD

(well, as in, bad pun)

Later in the chapter, Boaz gives Ruth a large amount of barley to take back to Noami. The New King Jimmy says that it was “six ephahs of barley”, however this is probably a translation error, as six ephahs would have equated to roughly 48 gallons, which Ruth couldn’t possibly have carried. Other translations say “measures”, and it’s probable that it was six omers, which would have been 30-40 pounds, a much more manageable amount, but still a great deal.

Thus, Boaz gave Ruth a really big omer pile. (insert rim shot here)

THE BEAUTIFUL

(no explanation needed)

As we see in verses 12-13, there is a relative who is closer than Boaz, who has first legal right/responsibility to act as kinsman redeemer for Ruth. One can see that Boaz wants to perform this act himself, but goes through the correct channels first.

There are many pictures of Christ in Boaz, but this one hadn’t hit me before. If he had chosen to do so, the “closer relative” would have acted as kinsman redeemer because of the obligation of the law. Boaz acted as kinsman redeemer because of the obligation of love.

Ephesians 2:4-5

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) …

I probably spend a little too much time complaining. It’s not a good habit. I assure you that I have been working very hard to correct this readily evident flaw in my character.

So today, something different. And I invite you to share the things you are thankful for too.

Today I am thankful for my job, that I am gainfully employed.

I give God all the praise!

“In all things, give thanks…”

Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart
Prepare Him room
And Saints and angels sing
And Saints and angels sing
And Saints and Saints and angels sing

Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns
Let Saints their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, Repeat, the sounding joy

Joy to the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders and wonders of His love

No more will sin and sorrow grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He’ll come and make the blessings flow
Far as the curse was found,
Far as the curse was found,
Far as, far as the curse was found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And gives to nations proof
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love;
And wonders of His love;
And wonders, wonders of His love.

Soli Deo Gloria!

From the best Christmas album ever, Behold the Lamb of God, by Andrew Peterson.  (No, I’m not biased at all.)

The written word cannot convey, 
or art or song or dance array
your beauty and splendor.
And so I surrender
to the fact
that
I
must,
from dust,
ascribe to you
the praise you’re due.

We write of you who cannot be written.
We sing of you who cannot be sung.
We paint of you who cannot be painted
We dance to you who created dance. 

The poet’s pen will surely fail,
the painter paints to no avail.
All impressions are a fraud
of you, oh infinite God,
whose presence
and essence
will
consume
and exhume
these dead forms
that grace transforms. 

So we write of you who cannot be written.
We sing of you who cannot be sung.
We paint of you who cannot be painted
We dance to you who created dance. 

Our artistic attempts to express
cannot capture your caress,
yet though we fall short,
we do not abort
these efforts
to convert
our
emotions
and commotions
into valid expressions
of our sacred profession.

So we write of you who cannot be written.
We sing of you who cannot be sung.
We paint of you who cannot be painted
We dance to you who created dance.

December 08, 1980

“We live in a culture that has, for centuries now, cultivated the ideas that the skeptical person is always smarter than one who believes. You can be almost as stupid as cabbage, as long as you doubt”.

~Dallas Willard

In the opening verses of Joshua 22 the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh are commissioned by Joshua and sent on their way.  They have chosen to live on the opposite side of the Jordon from the rest of Israel.  So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan to return to Gilead, their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the LORD through Moses (v. 9).  When they returned to their land they built an imposing altar there by the Jordan (v.10).

This did not sit well with the remaining tribes.  In fact, the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them (v. 12).  OK, they didn’t like this – but war?  Was this really offensive enough to kill a brother?  Apparently it was, since altars were used to worship pagan gods and any worship of the God of Israel must be done in the tabernacle (cf. Lev. 17).

But before attacking them and leveling out justice, some decided to question them.  They sent a guy named Phinehas and a few leaders and  asked them how could they could break faith with the God of Israel like this?  How could they turn away from the LORD and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now? (v.13).  Legitimate questions – no doubt.

They responded quite definitively:

21Then Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the clans of Israel: ²² “The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows! And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the LORD, do not spare us this day. ²³ If we have built our own altar to turn away from the LORD and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the LORD himself call us to account.

²⁴ “No! We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, ‘What do you have to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? ²⁵ The LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you—you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the LORD.’ So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the LORD.

²⁶ “That is why we said, ‘Let us get ready and build an altar—but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.’ ²⁷ On the contrary, it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the LORD at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no share in the LORD.’

²⁸ “And we said, ‘If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the LORD’s altar, which our ancestors built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.’

²⁹ “Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle.”

When Phinehas and the leaders of the community heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased (v 30).  They were glad to hear the report and praised God.  And they talked no more about going to war against them.(v. 33).

Now, let us imagine what this would look like if Phinehas and the leaders each had a blog.  And let’s assume each were self-appointed watchman set on pointing out any way in which the tribes of Israel strayed from the fold – whether or not the straying violated God’s Law – or just their cultural preferences.

If that were the case, Phinehas may have indeed believed the Reuben, Gad and Manasseh and even reported this to the Israelites and praised God.  But the others were not so sure. They would blog and comment on each others blogs saying:

I do not believe they are being honest about their comments.

I do not deny they are still faithful, but I want to see fruit before I believe them.

I asked them about pagan altars, and they dodged my question with postmodern jargon like “For us it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow…” – Why can’t they give a straight answer?

Others would chide  and mock Phinehas for meeting with them… saying only those with something to hide meet with enemies of Israel.

And so, even after the answers were given and the truth proclaimed… even after the issue should have been settled… it would fester in their watchful minds.

Why?  Because it is always easier and certainly more self-rewarding to assume the worst about people.  To point at other and say “They are different, therefore they are inferior” or “I want proof… proof based on my criteria.”  Or maybe just to say: “I do not like them, therefore I do not believe they are being honest.”