Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Purim
Today is Purim: the celebration of the Jew's deliverance from being wiped out by Haman. Our kids were in a Purim play this last Friday, and you can watch the webcast on demand via the Jr High website. Just click on this link.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Speed the Spoil
At church lately we've been singing a new song, "Speed the Spoil, Hasten the Booty." You can listen to it free for the next 6 days or so.
Of course there are numerous jokes and word plays because we now talk and sing about booty regularly. But the content is taken from Isaiah 8 and part of 9, where Isaiah prophesies that the land of Judah and Israel would be plundered by the Assyrians because of their unrighteousness. God's judgment was coming on them. Chapter 9 starts out with "Nevertheless," and goes on to prophesy the coming of Jesus.
So, the concept that we're working with is that plunder is part of the spiritual reality we live in. The Israelites always plundered the conquered people in war, and were plundered when conquered. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. We live in a plunder, or be plundered spiritual reality.
One connection I can make with this passage is the God allowed the Israelites to be plundered by their enemies because of their sin. I've figured out that sin is kind of like a gateway that opens me up to the enemy. Sin is part of life on earth, but repentance closes the gate, and stops the plundering. In conjunction, God restores that which has been taken from us. So, not only do we get to close the gate to being plundered, but we get to take back, or plunder the enemy as we defeat his plans. Emmanuel, or the presence of God, is the key to our plundering the enemy.
In the New Testament, Jesus told the parable about the servants who were given talents by their master, and when the master came back, it was the servants who had multiplied their talents who were given more. The ones who had been faithful had been given more, and the ones who had not been faithful with what they were given were not given more. I was always kind of taken aback by that parable, because I felt like it wasn't fair. But I've also realized that Jesus isn't really worried about fairness. He's more interested in surrender and relationship.
I've been thinking about how in the world "Speed the Spoil, Hasten the Booty" applies to my life. (Beyond moving a little faster.) As I've considered this, I've realized that Satan would like to plunder my emotions, my money, my time, my physical strength. But I get to stand up and say, "No, you can't have that!" If I worry about things, I'm allowing my emotional resources be plundered from me. And actually I'm sinning, and opening up that gate to the enemy. If I am stuck in a day of aimlessness, maybe I really do need a nap, or maybe my time and energy are being plundered. Hmmm. That's a new way to think about it. Instead I'm going to bring them to Emmanuel, God with me, and see what He thinks.
Of course there are numerous jokes and word plays because we now talk and sing about booty regularly. But the content is taken from Isaiah 8 and part of 9, where Isaiah prophesies that the land of Judah and Israel would be plundered by the Assyrians because of their unrighteousness. God's judgment was coming on them. Chapter 9 starts out with "Nevertheless," and goes on to prophesy the coming of Jesus.
So, the concept that we're working with is that plunder is part of the spiritual reality we live in. The Israelites always plundered the conquered people in war, and were plundered when conquered. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. We live in a plunder, or be plundered spiritual reality.
One connection I can make with this passage is the God allowed the Israelites to be plundered by their enemies because of their sin. I've figured out that sin is kind of like a gateway that opens me up to the enemy. Sin is part of life on earth, but repentance closes the gate, and stops the plundering. In conjunction, God restores that which has been taken from us. So, not only do we get to close the gate to being plundered, but we get to take back, or plunder the enemy as we defeat his plans. Emmanuel, or the presence of God, is the key to our plundering the enemy.
In the New Testament, Jesus told the parable about the servants who were given talents by their master, and when the master came back, it was the servants who had multiplied their talents who were given more. The ones who had been faithful had been given more, and the ones who had not been faithful with what they were given were not given more. I was always kind of taken aback by that parable, because I felt like it wasn't fair. But I've also realized that Jesus isn't really worried about fairness. He's more interested in surrender and relationship.
I've been thinking about how in the world "Speed the Spoil, Hasten the Booty" applies to my life. (Beyond moving a little faster.) As I've considered this, I've realized that Satan would like to plunder my emotions, my money, my time, my physical strength. But I get to stand up and say, "No, you can't have that!" If I worry about things, I'm allowing my emotional resources be plundered from me. And actually I'm sinning, and opening up that gate to the enemy. If I am stuck in a day of aimlessness, maybe I really do need a nap, or maybe my time and energy are being plundered. Hmmm. That's a new way to think about it. Instead I'm going to bring them to Emmanuel, God with me, and see what He thinks.
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