God is so beautiful in the morning

Psalm 27

The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold[a] of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me
    to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
    it is they who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    yet[b] I will be confident.

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire[c] in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will lift me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek[d] my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”[e]
9     Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will take me in.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path
    because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
    for false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they breathe out violence.

13 I believe[f] that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!

Praying to a Brick Wall

Judges 13:3-14/24

An angel of the Lord comes upon Samson's mother and tells her to avoid wine/strong drink and unclean foods. Additionally, he tells her that she will have a Nazirite son, a son who is consecrated to the service of God. She then relays the message to her husband, who asks God to send the angel again so that he can ask him questions. God grants Samson's dad his request. 

Once the angel returns, Samson's dad asks him: 

What shall be the boy's mode of life and his vocation?

This was a question I found to be a common theme for many of us who have struggled/are struggling with discerning God's voice and will for our lives. The angel's response is as annoying as ever and is a classic God move:

Let the woman pay attention to all that I said. She should not eat anything that comes from the vine nor drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; let her observe all that I commanded

Rather than answering the question placed before him, the angel of the Lord simply repeats, almost word for word, what he has already revealed to Samson's mother. Afterwards, once Samson's parents have put an offering before the Lord, this angel of the Lord confirms through cryptic words and mircaulous signs that he himself is indeed God. Samson's dad naturally reacts as all those in the OT who see God do:

We will surely die, for we have seen God

----

The vocation question must have certainly seemed critical at the time for Samson's parents. Of course, we now know that God had something spectacular planned for Samson all along. So instead of answering this petty, useless question, God simply shows Samson's parents who he is (God of everything), and who they are (beings that surely do not deserve to live after seeing him).

Much like his response to Joshua's fears and anxieties, God responds to Papa Samson's curiosities with an affirmation of his identity and specific instructions for consecration. And again, the reader is reminded that this seemingly critical detail of Samon's life actually is not that critical after all.

This post is an augmentation/edit of an email I previously wrote. Liked it a lot and decide to post it on my blog

Joshua

One biblical character who's been capturing my interest lately is Joshua. He can claim a significant portion of the American population as his namesake, and he has his own book in the Bible (which probably qualifies him for top 100 holiest people of all time), so he certainly is a Christian household name. And yet, beyond that whole bit about being Moses's successor/leading the 2nd generation Israelites to the promised land, there was not much that I knew about him.

While reading the book of Joshua, I noticed that God's frequent message to Joshua was "Do not fear." As a self-admitted scaredycat, this message piqued my interest. Joshua's fear seemed unlike that of other Biblical characters - largely unfounded. As the anointed successor of Moses, Joshua went on to conquer the promised land. Even before being officially chosen, Joshua had the luxury of being by Moses's side for so many critical moments in the Israelites' history.

However, I began thinking that perhaps his experience(s), rather than bolster Joshua, actually burdened him.

At one point during their journey, the Israelites grumble about the lack of meat, which in turn causes Moses to complain before the Lord about his overwhelming responsibility. The Lord unburdens Moses, simultaneously giving him a foretaste of the Holy Spirit's ubiquity in the age following Jesus's ascension, and several Israelites prophesy. The Bible also specifically names two men, Eldad and Medad, who remain at camp and continue prophesying. Upon seeing this, Joshua proves that he does not understand the sovereignty of God and humility of Moses, and asks Moses to stop the two men. "But Moses said to him, 'Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!'" (Numbers 12:29). Joshua learns here that he is not yet humble enough, that his perspective is not yet Godly enough.

Later, when Moses sends a dozen spies into the land of Canaan, Joshua is one of two spies who reports optimistically regarding the conquering of Canaan. However, despite being Moses's personal aid (Exodus 17:14), Joshua is not the spy who first voices the faithful opinion that the Israelites can overtake the land of Canaan. Out of the dozen spies, Caleb is the one who quiets the people and expresses optimism about the land God promised the Israelites. It is not until after Caleb has boldly expressed his faith in front of Moses and the people that we see Joshua chiming in (Numbers 13:30, Numbers 14:6). Perhaps Joshua learns here that he does not have the courage, that he does not yet possess the boldness to defy the reports of the ten other spies and the cries of the people.

Of course, Joshua's frequent encounters with seemingly mighty peoples whom God called the Israelites to conquer adds on to his trepidation. Joshua experienced firsthand the size and strength of the people of Canaan as he scouted, the airtight defenses of enemy strongholds (Jericho), and the bitter taste of defeat when he thought the Lord was with him (Ai).

Additionally, having personally followed Moses for so long, Joshua knows full well the foolishness, the fickleness of the people he's been chosen (burdened) to lead. He is the one who first hears the sound of Israelites worshipping the golden calf as he accompanies Moses down the mountain with the divinely inscribed stone tablets: "Now when Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, 'There is a sound of war in the camp.'" (Exodus 32:17). The fact that he is accompanying Moses down the mountain gives him a literal and figurative vantage point that is unique - not quite the leader, but not quite the follower.

In a way, Joshua is almost unfairly exposed to the call of leadership before he is actually a leader. Expecting Joshua to assume leadership with full confidence, having seen all of the issues of man - himself, his people, his enemies - while only experiencing deliverance second-hand, does not seem sensible. After all, whenever there was an issue, Moses had always been the mode of transmission for God's grace and power. If even the great Moses had struggled to lead the people, so much so that he was eventually destined to not cross into the promised land, how was young Joshua supposed to become a better man, lead the fickle Israelites, and conquer the mighty people of Canaan?

As always, God seems to be the only answer, and as always, God reminds Joshua as such.

God allows Joshua to experience true worship at a young age: "When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as man speaks to his friends. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent." (Exodus 33:10-11).

Not only that, but he reminds Joshua of his destiny: "No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them." (Joshua 1:5-6).

He reassures Joshua that he will lead the fickle people: "[The people] answered Joshua, saying, 'All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous'" (Joshua 1:16-18).

He preemptively quells Joshua's fears about the enemy: "The Lord said to Joshua, 'See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors'" (Joshua 6:2); "Now the Lord said to Joshua, 'Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land'" (Joshua 8:1); "The Lord said to Joshua, 'Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you'" (Joshua 10:8).

He teaches Joshua how to be a Godly conqueror: "'Rise up! Consecrate the people and say, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus the Lord, the God of Israel, has said, 'There are things under the ban in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under ban from your midst,'" (Joshua 7:13); "'This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.'" (Joshua 1:8).

God, being the omniscient, omniloving(?) God he is, addresses every facet of Joshua's fear.

As a second generation of sorts in so many ways, I often feel burdened by the exact kinds of fear I've projected on to Joshua just now. Of course, I'm unsure about the "magnitude" of my calling from God, whether he is calling me to be a leader like Joshua or an anonymous foot soldier marching around Jericho blowing trumpets. Regardless, I see the futility of my own flesh, the disappointing shortcomings of those I'm called to love and march with, and the might of the challenges before me. And like Joshua, I find myself constantly constantly constantly needing reassurance, affirmation, encouragement that God is God and that God remembers me.

Not only that, but his call to be courageous is so terrifying, his command to meditate on him so burdensome, and his demand to consecrate myself so painful. It truly only is by the power of God that this feeble human will ever amount to anything. "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained." (Philippians 3:13-16).

What is Missions?

Since I graduated college a few years ago, I've been attending a church whose foundational statement is Jesus's Great Commission. For those who are unfamiliar with Christian-isms, this passage (Matthew 28:16-20, specifically verses 19-20) is one of Jesus's most famous soundbytes: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

In other words, Jesus is telling his followers, spread the word. With that as our foundation, my missions-oriented church organizes several short-term mission trips every summer, has sent out longer-term missionaries who are residing/have resided in foreign lands, and hosts a parade (in a good way) of speakers to motivate and teach about this thing that all Christians are supposedly called to do.

Oftentimes, this fact that all Christians are indeed called to some sort of "missions" seems to be one of the rare points of irrefutable agreement in missions discourse (of course, there are some givens, like that whole bit about Jesus being the Messiah). With each presentation displaying missions under different filters, the actual definition of missions is often clouded and confusing. Of course, given the relational nature of the gospel, it makes sense that each individual who promotes missions and testifies about God is only able to show a small sliver of an infinite-faceted God. And sometimes, certain puzzles pieces just do not look like they are pieces of the same puzzle.

It certainly doesn't help that different parts of the Bible are used in conjunction with missions. Some will point to God's command to honor widows and children, others will highlight helping the needy and oppressed, and others still will adhere to the Great Commission and its calling to make disciples. To make extracting a simple, coherent definition even more difficult, the issues of location and methodology bake themselves into the debate.

However, what if our missional calling was actually much simpler and broader than all of these technicalities we've assigned to it? Perhaps this is an obvious connection for some, but it took me an embarrassingly long time to understand that God is not simply calling us to assist these people, but he is actually calling us to be husbands, fathers, providers, liberators, teachers. Paul (top 5 missionary, IMO) hints at (punches us in the face with) the strength and model by which we can succeed in these roles - a certain God-turned-carpenter-turned-savior, a.k.a. the ultimate husband/father/provider/liberator/teacher.

In other words, all Christians (definition: follower of Christ) are called to follow Christ. While this tautological argument is probably considered garbage in the logical world, a progression that has the same alpha and omega is priceless in the Christian realm. As we circle this logical track where the end is the beginning, we begin discovering some of God's infinite attributes. God has filled this space between the alpha and omega with a story of redemptive love, a story that can only be told in fragments, through the limited perspective of each follower. And again, we are brought back to Christ, who told his own story through prophecy, parables, miracles, and every other part of his life.

Perhaps that is what missions truly is - following Christ both directionally and mimickingly.

The Plague of Sin

Numbers 25: 1-2, 7-8

While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughers of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 

When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced btoh of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked.

In the verses above, the Israelites have again broken God's decrees and commandments. Enticed by the gods, customs, and women of their newly acquired land, they worship, follow, and love.

Interestingly, however, Moses does not simply refer to these actions as sin. He does not blast their moral code or infidelity before the Lord. Rather, he calls Israel's shortcomings a plague. And this new moniker seems to be much deeper than just a new phrase for the tiring, redundant narrative of the unfaithful Israelites. It actually suggests a different perspective by which to view sin. This perspective is humble, and it hints at a deep understanding of sin.

Centuries later, pharisees would monochromatically view the world as sin or not sin, following the law or breaking it. However, disease is not quite so simple; there are an infinite number of ways to catch a plague - different modes of transmission, different pathways to being introduced to the body. The text shows that the Israelites were indeed swayed in multiple ways: the bold red of pride, the pink hues of lust, the dim yellow of foolishness, and the murky brown of gluttony. The perspective that the pharisees failed to gain, one that Moses astutely pierces, is that these seemingly varying colors are not in themselves an end. These temptations and sins in themselves are not the black that the pharisees so keenly avoided. Rather, these sins coalesce to form the deadly black from which no man is safe - separation from God.

One of the basic tenets of humanity, by nature of being a social species, is that everyone follow some sort of social code (laws, norms, etc.). This human experience makes it so easy to condemn those who break these codes, verbal or not. Thus, the Christian experience is littered with judgment, condemnation, shaming, and overall self-righteousness.

But what if we were to view these sins as illness? What if the sinner was not only the perpetrator, but also the victim? Moses (maybe I am reading into it too much here) seems to be suggesting that the Israelites were victims of an illness from which we must always question our immunity, regardless of the great (and they can be great) preventative measures taken, an illness that can just as easily overtake anyone else, an illness that plagued mankind since before man's first progeny and still persists today. He makes it awfully difficult to judge and condemn our peers. After all, nobody points a finger at a lung cancer patient, blaming him for his illness.

Patients do not avoid condemnation simply because blaming the sick is a faux pas. Once it comes to a terminal illness like cancer, those who understand the gravity of the situation - the possibility of death - can not make less of it, and there are few actions more belittling to a circumstance than retroactively investigating blame. Once the full ramifications are understood, people prepare for the future, be it peaceful acceptance or painful preparations for a fiery fight.

Paul would write centuries later that the wages of sin is death, and 24,000 of God's own Israelites pay those wages in the desert. Unfortunately, we modern Christians often forget the consequences of sin. Sin is not trivial, and it does not end at ill. Sin is death.

Fortunately, the same God whom the Israelites betray did not betray us:
"Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'"

Passion and Details

A month or so ago, I caught up with a friend for a 3-month delayed birthday brunch. Naturally, the conversation flowed to the topic of her current boyfriend and his awesome cellist ways. One story she told me that really got me thinking was how her boyfriend would repeatedly practice the same line the same way for several hours. Of course, repetition is a critical piece of artistry, but my friend found it odd because the notes and rhythm were correct, yet her boyfriend was visibly frustrated. She eventually asked him why, especially since he was hitting all the notes at all the right times. He then pointed out to her the more subtle nuances of cello performance (how does the direction of the bow change the sound, what note should that sound change coincide with, etc), and all of the details that go into "mastering" that particular piece. My friend is no musical slouch herself (relative to normal people, she's a piano prodigy; relative to piano prodigies, she claims mediocrity), but these differences were so slight that even she did not notice until he pointed them out.

This cello anecdote got me thinking about the relationship between detail and passion. Until then, I had never made the now-obvious connection: we are most detail-oriented about that which we are most passionate.

One of the stereotypical (yet accurate) depictions of passion is a nerd who loves technology and will grab anyone and unload, at one million words per second, slews of jargon understood only by himself. Another example is a young boy in love; all of his energies are spent on observing, to the best of his abilities, the likes and dislikes, the comings and goings of his crush. In other words, recognizing detail is an inseparable indicator of passion.

This epiphany got me thinking in two streams: God and myself.

The last couple of months, God's simultaneous vastness and meticulousness have put me in awe, and this was another example. If I really believe that the same God who created the heavens and the earth, the God for whom time is meaningless, the God who knows what lies beyond this galaxy, this universe also created me, an insignificant, little (in universal scope) boy, how can I not be amazed? But it doesn't end there. His attention to the details of my life did not end with my creation, but continue into even smaller moments, events, historical/chemical/physical/social/emotional/mental/spiritual experiences both recognized and not.

I am God's passion. He is trying to time, like my unmet cellist friend, the infinite variables of my life to ultimately produce a symphony that will bring glory to him and eternal life to me.

As for myself, my friend only introduced more questions. What details do I hold and for whom?