Category: Bible (Page 43 of 335)

I’m usually pretty decisive, but on big decisions I tend to delay before making up my mind. I like to keep my options open as long as possible.

Paul was imprisoned under the Roman governor of Judea, a man named Felix. Known for his cruelty and desire for money, Felix hoped to gain a bribe from Paul for his release. But first he, along with his wife Drusilla, wanted to hear from the fiery prophet:

Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”

Lacking both righteousness and self-control, Felix returned Paul to the dungeon. But Felix called Paul back again and again. Likely only after money, but I wonder if Paul’s words sank into Felix or Drusilla’s hearts?

Felix showed interest, but couldn’t make a decision. Why? Did turning toward Jesus mean turning away from his position of power and wealth? Were his stack of crimes against the people of Judea too high to see over? Or was it all simply about lining his pockets?

People turn down Jesus for lots of reasons. Felix was not alone in his love of financial gain and power over people. But I still wonder how often in the following years he thought back on those conversations and questioned his decision to push Jesus away?

We don’t know much more about Felix or Drusilla. No tradition hints at either one embracing the Christian faith. Maybe we’ll meet them in heaven and discover their circuitous path to Jesus. But it sounds more likely that even with clarity from Paul, the greatest teacher of their era, they refused to make a decision.

And indecision becomes a decision in itself.

Acts 24 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Danielle-Claude Bélanger

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Paul took advantage of the fissures in his audience. Earlier he angered the ruling council of Jerusalem with his teachings about Jesus and the resurrection. Now hauled before the court, the high priest ordered Paul struck across the face, and there was no promise things would get better from there.

Paul thought quickly and called out: “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”

When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.) There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously.

The conflict became so violent that the Roman commander feared Paul would be torn to pieces, so he ordered the troops to take him away. Thus Paul escaped the clutches of the high priest. Of course, Paul remained in the clutches of the Romans, and eventually Nero, but his cleverness got him out of this jam and several others.

Paul used his mind for teaching, preaching, writing, and confounding his opponents. We enjoy the fruit as we read his letters in the New Testament and learn from his life as recorded in the book of Acts. The Lord may not have made us clever, but he gifted each of us with a mind and it honors him when we put it to use.

Acts 23 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Neil Thomas

My wife and I have lived in three different cities during our married life—Manhattan, Kansas; Springfield, Missouri; and Erie, Colorado. I enjoyed the first two, and now happily reside in the third. We are not alone in our moving. One estimate says Americans move on average 12 times during their adult lives, whether is be from house to house or city to city.

When David became king he moved into Jerusalem. David refreshed the city and built it into a great capital. He loved his new town and through his son Solomon, constructed a great temple to the Lord at its center. David encouraged his fellow citizens to:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.

I must admit that while I enjoy where I live, I rarely pray for my adopted hometown. In contrast, David prayed for peace and security for everyone living within the reaches of Jerusalem. He sought the prosperity of the city so all might understand the goodness of the Lord.

This morning I prayed for my city: Peace be within you, Erie, Colorado. Lord, I pray your peace would infuse those who most need it and prosperity will spread, so that all may enjoy your goodness and move closer to you.

Perhaps you’d like to do the same? Prayer blesses our neighbors whether they know it or not. Then as God blesses our fellow citizens, he blesses us as well.

Psalm 122 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Alex K

You wouldn’t think a hot-blooded killer would be immortalized in the Psalms. But one writer, recounting the history of Israel and the ways they disobeyed the Lord, added this story:

They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods; they aroused the Lord’s anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them. But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked. This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.

Phinehas intervened and stopped the plague by killing an Israelite man and his Midianite lover. Despite God’s stark warnings against sexual acts with the locals, this couple paraded arm in arm in front of Moses and all the people who were begging God to stop a deadly illness sweeping the camp.

The paramours, either oblivious or brazen or stupid, found a tent and closed the flap. A moment later Phinehas stepped in and drove a spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach, killing them both.

I am not making this up. The Bible contains some crazy stories, and a priest harpooning two people having sex in order to quell the Lord’s anger is one of the craziest.

Sounds like harsh justice, but what does this story tell us about the Lord? At that time in history, Israel enjoyed a special relationship with God. A chosen nation, the Lord protected them with a cloud by day and fire by night. He delivered them from Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and even fed them with manna from heaven.

God stayed very, very close, and God is very, very holy.

To thumb one’s nose at God in that situation resulted in dire repercussions. Don’t forget that people were suffering and dying all around. Justice was served by those two perishing instead of thousands more.

Still, it’s hard to wrap my mind around this vignette. But it reminds me that God is holy, and he does not look away from those who flaunt his ways or harm his people.

Psalm 106 & Numbers 25 in Through the Bible in 2024

The picture is from a 9th-century manuscript depicting Phinehas killing Zimri and Cozbi