Henry Neufeld

11Moses tried to appease YHWH his God. He said, “Why are you getting so angry with your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great strength and a mighty hand? 12Why would you let the Egyptians say, ‘He brought them out here into these mountains for an evil purpose, to kill them and to wipe them from the face of the ground. Repent from your furious anger and rethink the disaster you are bringing against your people. 13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore, “I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants and they will inherit it forever.       Exodus 32:11-13 (HN)

There’s a constant tension in scripture between God’s great power and authority, which we call “sovereignty” and his closeness, mercy and willingness to answer prayer. Theologians use the terms transcendence and immanence. Transcendence means that God is tremendously “other” than what we are, unimaginably more powerful. Immanence means that God is very close to us. In Christianity, both are seen as true about God.

Individually we have a harder time seeing it. For some of us, God is so sovereign that he is unapproachable. How could I possibly dare argue with God. We don’t really pray for anything, and then we say “let your will be done.” On the other hand, many of us view the presence of God as something fun and friendly, sort of like having a puppy around, only more powerful. Those of us like this tend to demand things of God in prayer and give him instructions.

I think Moses struggled with all of this, but he managed to get an excellent balance. He was able to submit to God’s sovereignty. If you don’t believe me, simply read Exodus and see how many times God tells Moses to do something that doesn’t seem to make much sense, and yet when Moses knows God has given an order, he obeys. Look at all the detailed instructions for the tabernacle and for the laws of Israel. To accept all of those laws would require someone who was willing to submit to God’s sovereignty.

But Moses knows God very well, and he knows when something doesn’t make sense. It’s hard the get the sense of the first line of our text today. One of my Hebrew lexicons gives the following possibilities: to soften by caressing, to appease, to flatter. The Contemporary English Version reads “Moses tried to get the Lord God to change his mind.” Eugene Peterson, in The Message, paraphrases it as “Moses tried to calm his God down.”

Is all this respectful? Well, I would hardly want to argue that I have a better relationship with God than Moses did. Moses knew God. He had talked with him personally. He was well aware of the powerful presence of God and of his transcendence. He knew that God was powerful and knew everything. But he also knew that God was a covenant God, filled with mercy and compassion, and that God had a plan.

So Moses steps out on the basis of this strong relationship and says, “God, this isn’t like you! You promised. You put your power on display. You better think again about what you’re doing.” And God has mercy. Now I’m not going to spend my time worrying about whether God actually changed his mind or did what he would have done anyhow. That’s all good theology, but the Bible doesn’t present this as “good theology.” It just presents it as God intending to do one thing, and God’s servant Moses persuading God to do it some other way. Sometimes we’re so worried about good theology that we can’t just read and absorb the Bible story.

Here there is good experience, and a good relationship. Is your relationship with God up to a few arguments? Are you so certain of God’s character that you can get down on your knees and say, “God, this isn’t like you. I can’t believe you’re going to do it. You need to think again!”

I’m not saying you’ll be right. I’m not telling you that God will agree with you. Maybe he will and maybe he’ll say, “I know better.” But the Biblical example here gives us permission to challenge God on the basis of his word and his character.

Henry Neufeld

1He entered and was passing through Jericho. 2There was a man named Zaccheus, a supervisor of tax collectors, and he was rich. 3He tried to see who Jesus was, but he couldn’t since he was too short to see over the crowd. 4He ran ahead and climbed into a sycamore so he could see when Jesus passed by. 5And as Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus! Hurry down! Because I must stay at your house today.” 6Zaccheus hurried down and received Jesus joyfully. 7But the crowd was indignant. They said, “He’s going to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” 8But Zaccheus stood and said to the Lord, “Look! Half of what I own, sir, I’m giving to the poor, and if I have improperly charged anyone I will give it back to him four-fold. 9Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a child of Abraham. 10For the son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”       Luke 19:1-10 (HN)

Zaccheus is one of those Bible stories you can use to teach quite a number of different lessons. Out of the whole crowd in Jericho, who is it that gets special attention from Jesus? Who catches the attention of those who later remember Jesus and tell his story? There are lessons there for our service to God in church and home.

One reason I like Zaccheus is that he doesn’t manage himself very well in crowds. When Jody and I are walking together in a relatively clear area, I have to pay attention to my pace, because I’ll leave her behind or rush her. I have two speeds for walking—stopped or full speed ahead. But when we come to a crowd, our situations are reversed. She flows through crowds. She knows which way people will move and can dodge between them and get to where she is going. In crowds I’m the one left behind. It seems to me that wherever I turn there’s another body in my way.

In church, we have the front row people and the back row people. Do you run into church and head straight for one of the front rows? What about a class or conference room. The stereotype is that the ones up front are interested, prepared, and eager to please. Personally, I’m more of a middle range person. I like to be fairly inconspicuous in a crowd.

Spiritual seekers also seem to fall into categories. There are those who show up at every event at their home church. Prayer meeting—they are there. Sunday School—you can count on them. Worship services? 52 weeks per year. Others seek all over the place. If there is a revival at a neighboring church, they are there to visit. Special speaker? Off they go. A chance for someone new to pray for them? They’re on their way.

I’m not concerned today with the best way to find God. I just want us to notice how different we each are in the way we go about these things. I don’t think the particular way we search is important. Sometimes I like to think about how a story might have gone. What if Zaccheus had been blocked by more people and had not made it to the tree in time? What if he climbed up and then a limb broke? Silly ideas, perhaps, but they interest me.

I think the ending of this story would have been the same in all those cases. Because Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and Zaccheus was lost and ready to be found. I think Jesus would have found him if he’d fallen and been trampled by the crowd.

One of the joys of seeking God is that we know he’s seeking us. Sometimes we forget this, and we become stressed over friends who have not found God. But God is seeking them too, and he knows even better than you do how to get there. Like Zaccheus, whether you’re seeking for yourself or someone else, don’t give up. But trust God, the great Seeker, to make sure you find him.

I said, “Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away, and be at rest.

Behold, then I would wander far off. I would lodge in the wilderness.

Selah.

I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and storm.”                Psalm 55:6-8 (WEB)

God has faithfully brought us through yet another storm. Thank You, Lord! God is also faithfully bringing me and many of those that I love through personal storms.

As I watched out the window last night, I saw wind that whipped branches around like ribbons. Rain blew sideways. For several hours, it was hard to see that the storm was passing. It seemed like we were ’stalled’ in this storm. Too often when I am in a personal storm, it is hard to see past what is happening at the moment. It seems that I will be ‘whipped’ and ‘beat up’ for some undetermined amount of time. Despair and hopelessness can become all that I know. “Where are You, God? I want to escape!!!”

Last night, even though I could not see – I could hear the meteorologist on TV assure me that the storm was moving on. That meteorologist had the facts based on what he could see from radar and even an airplane reconnaissance that had been done. And so, in my personal storms, it would be wisdom for me to listen to the One who actually has the knowledge, the Truth. Neither my own mind nor the reasoning of well-meaning friends can be taken over what God tells me through His Word and our time together.

Thirteen years ago, I went through divorce after almost 20 years of marriage. In the first few months, I tried desperately to find my footing while also trying to help my three children. I was in the middle of a storm and I could not see the end. I felt alone and yet surrounded by many people who had either an opinion, a prayer to offer, or nothing – leaving me truly alone. It was hard to move out of our home with two teenagers and a young child and find a place we could afford on my salary. I didn’t even have a bed. But as I look back on that time, I remember going into my room at night and laying down on my pallet and having the most intimate time with my Lord. I devoured His words of Scripture. I poured out everything I was thinking. God sifted through and in those dark, late night hours, I heard many truths. I grew because God was faithful. I learned that storms do pass. I learned Who really has control of all storms. Remember Job? Satan could only do what God said he could do. I am so very glad that God has a choke-chain on satan!

If there is a storm in your life, be wise; be careful to whom you turn, even yourself. Your flesh can be deceitful. Push in closer to God. Spend time with the One who is faithful and Truth; who is comfort and healing. The One who loves you more than you can imagine. So invest the time to find out!

Therefore prepare your minds for action; be sober and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ— as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as in your ignorance, but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy; for I am holy.”                                 1 Peter 1:13-16 (WEB)

As I am writing this, Hurricane Ida is approaching our home town. I have lived on the Gulf Coast for over 30 years now. I have learned what to do to prepare for a hurricane and tropical storms. I have left my home with the knowledge that upon my return there could be nothing left. Praise God, this storm is not going to be like that!

There are ‘hurricane force winds’ in my life. God wants me to be prepared. He gives me tools and knowledge and strength to survive these storms. In fact, He gives me the ability to survive in VICTORY!

How much time do I give in preparation? Is it a priority in my day? Is Jesus really my friend that deserves my time? That question seems rhetorical, doesn’t it? But does my daily schedule reflect my verbal commitment that says I give God the ‘first fruits’ of my time? Or does He get only this ten-minute devotional and a quick “Thanks!” at the end of the day?

Jesus says He loves me enough to rebuke and discipline me, desiring that I repent. He stands knocking at my door, wanting to come in. (Revelation 3) It seems that Jesus is polite, waiting for my invitation to come in and spend time together. Jesus has prepared a lesson for me. His desire is to build me up and encourage me. Yes, there will be correction involved but how awesome is it to be disciplined one-on-one by Jesus who loves me instead of stumbling around in ignorance and self-destruction. Am I willing to have ears to hear? Micah said, God has shown me what is good and what is required of me: to act with justice, love forgiveness, and walk (spend time) humbly with my Lord. (Micah 6:8) THEN I will be prepared for whatever is to come.

Henry Neufeld

1And you will say in that day:
“I will praise you YHWH. Though you were angry with me Your anger turned and you consoled me.
2God is my savior; I will trust, and not be afraid.
Because YHWH is my power and defense, And he will be my deliverer.”
3You will draw water with joy, from the wells of salvation.
4And you will say in that day:
“Praise YHWH! Call on his name! Let the people know about his deeds.
Proclaim that his name is exalted! 5Sing psalms to YHWH
For he has brought triumph. Let this be known throughout the world.
6Cry out and shout for joy, you who dwell in Zion,
For the Holy One of Israel is great among you.         Isaiah 12 (HN)

How is God different from human beings? I hope you get a laugh out of this question. How is God not different from human beings? He’s more powerful, more knowledgeable, larger, eternal rather than temporary. We have long words for all these things, but let’s settle for saying he’s so vastly different that we can’t really comprehend it.

But I want to focus on a very simple difference, one that we sometimes ignore. God is a redeeming God. God likes to take things that have failed, and make them a success. He likes to take people who have given up, been destroyed, or have been bent out of all recognition, and make them new.

I’ve quoted Isaiah 12, because it was part of my reading today. It’s one of those many, many texts that talk about how much God likes to save, and how we can count on him, in spite of our times of failure, to be a redeeming God.
Sometimes we see this “redeeming God” only in the New Testament, in Jesus. But that is far from the truth. From the time in Genesis 3 when God went to look for his rebellious children in the garden, God has been in the business of redeeming people. It’s a constant throughout scripture. Sometimes we read all the texts about judgment and get the idea that God spends all of his time in the Old Testament angry. But if you read carefully, even the angry parts are given with the intention of redeeming people.

One reason it’s hard for us to get this message of “redemption, redemption, redemption” into our heads is that we just don’t think that way. “Three strikes and you’re out” doesn’t just happen in baseball. For many of us it’s a theme of the way we deal with people. Redemption is just not a “natural” thing. Face it. If we had to deal with Judah at the time of the exile, we’d probably all wash our hands of the whole thing. “They’re off to Babylon now. Let’s go find someone who can do it right!” But God knows that his people are limited, and he doesn’t give up on good material. He calls them back from exile and goes right back to work on them.

Notice verse 3—you will draw water with joy from the wells of salvation. That tells us God’s plan for us. But I’d like to take it in another sense as well. Can we learn to be more and more like God on this point? Can we drink from the wells of salvation until salvation—redemptive grace—pours from us to others? Can we become just a little bit more like God on this?

And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.          1 Corinthians 3:18 (NRSV)

By his grace we can!

“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render[give rewards] to everyone according to his deeds.”        Matthew 16:27 (WEB)

Some days are hard. Any day that I feel myself drawn into a valley I try to remember the blessings for which I thanked God the night before when I was falling asleep. If I still want to attend my own personal ‘pity party’, I remember those who in their daily lives must struggle for food, clean water, freedom to worship without fear of reprisal, and those who have chosen to serve these same people.

Rewards mean very different concepts to all of us. When I think of the ‘rewards’ that God has promised me, I am usually thinking of what will be mind eternally. I look at the lives of the disciples and I do not see lives of earthly rewards as in money, homes, and general abundance. They were more about Kingdom building than inheritance building for their children and grandchildren. Their faith was their legacy.

I believe it is also important for me to remember that I am not ‘banking’ favors so as to ‘buy’ a big mansion from God in heaven! What I do here – I do because I choose to be obedient and have an opportunity to serve and witness to others the saving power of Jesus. I have heard people talk about ‘diamond door knobs’ on their mansions – and I am just excited to be in any heavenly dwelling!

Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness,

according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.       Psalm 18:24 (WEB)

It is verses like this that I read and accept and yet…I don’t dwell on them. In my mind, I am happy when God blesses me and gives more than I can imagine! But I do not expect a ‘pound of reward’ because I did a ‘pound of obedience’. I welcome input on this. It seems a point that could bring good discussion!

Each day is a reward from God as He guides me along the path He has for me. There is so much to see and be blessed as we walk the path of each day. Some days I have to consciously look harder than others to see what God wants me to see and other days – it’s like there are spotlights on those special moments.

Let’s take time today to consider God’s rewards. Let us be more open to the many and varied rewards that He has for each of us. Let’s encourage each other by tell the stories of God’s rewards. Help me to see the rewards and I will try to do the same for you! Accept His rewards today!

– Henry Neufeld

1You come out justified, YHWH, when I make a case against you, yet I will present my causes to you.
Why do the wicked prosper, and treacherous people live in peace?
2You planted them and they become well rooted. They grow and bear fruit.
They are always talking about you, But they are never thinking about you.
3But you, YHWH, know me. You see me! You test my heart’s devotion to you.
Lure them away like sheep to the slaughter. Set them apart for a day of killing!
4How long must the land mourn, And the grass in every field be withered?
Because its people are so wicked, The animals and birds have been finished off.
Because they said, “God doesn’t see where we’re going.”
5If you have run with the footmen, And they have worn you out, How can you compete with the horses? If you’re in safe country, and you fall down,
What will you do in the rough country by the Jordan River? — Jeremiah 12:1-5 (HN)

Those who actually want to be prophets ought to read a bit of Jeremiah. He has been called the weeping prophet, but I’d like to suggest “complaining prophet” as more like it. Not that he didn’t have plenty to complain about. I think if I had lived back then and received his call I might have asked God if he couldn’t just go ahead and let the Babylonians kill me. It would have been much easier.

But there are a number of interesting things about God’s friends and servants. They’re quite a varied bunch of people. You could hardly find two people more different than Jeremiah and Moses, for example. Moses can get angry, and when he does he says some things he’ll regret. But Jeremiah was always stewing. He doesn’t have those great bursts of anger. He just has a constant simmering of complaints.

When I set about to look at all the prayers of the Bible several years ago, I learned a number of interesting things. The main one was simply that just about everything I thought about prayer was off target in some way. If you think prayers should be long, you’ll find short ones in the Bible. Short? There are some long ones. Do you like signs? You’ll find some stuff that’s pretty negative about them. Negative about signs? You’ll find some of God’s servants asking for them and practically living on them. Do you think prayers should be polite? You’ll find plenty of challenging, angry prayers. Open, honest, and informal? You’ll find some that are quite formal and very polite, even flattering.

And then there’s Jeremiah, whining his way through a prophetic mission. Just look at the prayer in our scripture for today. Might I paraphrase? “Lord, you’re not actually going to listen to me, because you’re always right, but I’m going to complain anyhow. The wicked always prosper, and it’s your fault! You set them up and they prosper. Here’s what I want you to do: Have a massacre. Kill them all! Look, I know we’re in trouble because of the people’s sins, but how long is this going to last?”

Does that give you permission to complain? I would suggest it does. But many times the answer to your complaint is not going to be to make things better for you or to do things your way. Think about a coach for a runner. The athlete complains that he is tired out and doesn’t have this one more race in him. Does the coach say, “OK, I know you’re tired. Go get some rest?” Well, there are times he will, because that’s what’s necessary. But sometimes it’s going to be more like, “You’re going to let a little thing like being tired beat you? Get out there and do it, or you’re not the athlete I thought you were.”

God lets Jeremiah complain. But his answer is more like the second one. “Look, Jeremiah, you’re in the easy stuff right now. It’s like racing with guys on foot. Later, you’re going to run against horses, and what are you going to do then?”

The answer in Jeremiah’s life was that he stuck with God, and he did live through much greater difficulties. Will you voice your complaints but stick with the divine coach as well?

– Henry Neufeld

1Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the Prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remnant of the elders of the exile, to the priests, the prophets, and all the people who had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar from Jerusalem to Babylon. . . . 4This is what YHWH of armies, God of Israel says to all the exiles who have been taken from Jerusalem to Babylon. 5Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat the produce. 6Take wives and give birth to sons and daughters. And take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands and let them bring forth sons and daughters. Multiply there, and don’t become smaller. 7And seek the peace of the city to which you were taken as exiles, and pray to YHWH for it, because your peace is tied up with its peace.       Jeremiah 29:1,4-7 (HN)

There is, of course, a historical meaning for this passage that is very specific. The people of Judah had been taken into exile and many were hoping it would end soon. But God had a plan for a longer period of time than they planned for. The call to return from exile would be delayed for a couple of generations.

As a side note for those interested in the way the Bible expresses things, notice that the people there are to marry, have children, see those children married, and then they have children. People try to get the “70 year” prophecy of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10) calculated to make the simple point that the generation going into exile would die completely before they would return. It would be during the third generation.

But my point here is not to look at the specifics of the exile but rather to look at God’s principles as they might apply to our own lives. While Judah is to be punished through a period of exile, they are not to diminish. They are not to stop living. They are to look forward. They are to grow.

One of our temptations as Christians is to live as very temporary exiles here on this earth. In fact, we tend to divide ourselves between those who have accommodated themselves so thoroughly to this world that you can’t tell their exiles, and those who are so exiled that they are no longer connected to their temporary home either. The expression “so heavenly, they’re of no earthly good” was invented for such people.

Whether we’re dealing with a temporary exile of our own—a separation from our calling, a separation from family, or a mission in a country that feels like “exile from exile” we need to remember the principles behind Jeremiah’s letter.

First, wherever God has placed you, he plans for you to grow and not diminish. He’s not throwing you out or trying to destroy you. He’s trying to make you better.

Second, wherever you are, there’s someone you can pray for. No matter how little you like the country, the people, the job, or whatever it is, you can pray. Praying for the peace of Babylon may sound pretty silly, but that was what God told his people to do—for a period of time.

Third, take action to move forward. Sitting back and merely enduring the hard times isn’t God’s call. Sitting back and enduring this world, while we hope for heaven is not God’s plan either. He wants us to build houses, plant vineyards, have children—in other words, to live.

We don’t know when our time of exile here on earth will end. We do know that God wants us to grow, and not get smaller.

– Henry Neufeld

And he went in again into the synagogue. And there was a man there who had a paralyzed hand. 2And they watched him to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they could accuse him. 3And he said to the man who had the paralyzed hand, “Rise up in the middle!” 4And he said to them, “Is it lawful on Sabbath to do good or to do evil? To save life, or to kill? But they were silent. 5And he looked around with anger, grieved by the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” And he stretched it out and his hand was restored. 6And the Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him as to how they might destroy him.        Mark 3:1-6 (HN)

Many of us, in our spiritual walk and in our leadership have a problem telling when is the time to fight, and when is the time to back off.  I have known some extremely confrontational people.  For them, all times are confrontation times, and all issues are fighting issues.  They would never consider toning down their rhetoric or their actions in order to avoid offense.

There are others for whom all times are fleeing times.  Their primary mission is to avoid offending anyone.  If there is something that might annoy anyone else, no matter how good an idea they think it is, they will hold it back until nobody is going to be offended.

The Bible has support for both sides of this debate.  The easiest place for me to go is the chapter that has the two sides in consecutive verses:

4Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness, lest you become like him yourself.
5Answer a fool according to his foolishness, lest he be wise in his own eyes.     Proverbs 26:4-5 (HN)

I use this text to illustrate the “toolkit” concept in using the scriptures.  We could look at these verses as a contradiction.  One tells us to do something, but the other commands the exact opposite.  Which one are we to obey?  The answer requires wisdom—no surprise, considering this is the book of Proverbs!  Which one applies to your situation?

In our text, Jesus is confronted by evil and by evil’s helpers.  Why do I call the scribes “evil’s helpers?”  Because they are the critics.  They’re looking for reasons to attack Jesus.  They want to be offended.

Some people think they aren’t critics, but rather just people who want to see to it that things are done right.  If someone is doing something wrong, shouldn’t you let them know?  You can usually tell by the fruit.  Are you happy when you find someone doing something wrong?  Does it give you a thrill of power?  You can tell further by how you act.  Do you provide helpful answers about what to do, or do you go off and conspire with other people?

If you’re one of the critics, then you are evil’s helpers.  Those are the folks Jesus confronted.  He found a situation when their activities had to be challenged.  He had to “answer the fools according to their foolishness.”  You see, what Jesus was about to do didn’t actually violate Jewish law, at least according to most interpretations.  These guys were taking a hard line so they could catch him.

There was a major issue at stake as well:  Are people more important or are rituals?  So Jesus got up, jumped right into the critics’ face, and confronted them.

Many of us would choose instead to take the man aside and heal him quietly.  If people are going to be offended, why not avoid the conflict?  Because in this case, the conflict is the important thing.  The religious spirit that says, “Our worship service is more important than this man’s pain,” is the spirit that has destroyed communities of faith ever since there were any to destroy.

Can your life be interrupted by human pain?  If your pastor interrupted the service to deal with a homeless person, or to offer prayer for someone in the congregation for healing, or to let the congregation listen to someone’s testimony, would it offend you?  If it would, you’re headed toward the critics’ side, and you don’t want to be there.

Don’t be offended if Jesus interrupts your routine today.