Faced with Evil: What would I have done in Nazi Germany?

I’ve often wondered what I would have done if I’d been alive during World War II and lived in Europe. Would I have known about the atrocities committed at the approximately 1,200 Nazi concentration camps? If I’d known, would I have done something?

Or, would the public atrocities have been sufficient to rise my sense of injustice? How many yellow stars would have had to walk down the street in front of me before I would have sympathized with the disgrace? How many friends would have had to board a train for mandatory encampment at a labor facility? When would I have realized those labor facilities were actually extermination camps?

Would I have been a Corrie ten Boom who defied the law to save Jewish lives before her own imprisonment? Would I be able to teach a message of grace and forgiveness after enduring Ravensbrueck Concentration Camp?

Or would I have lived in denial and fear? Would I have turned the other way? I don’t know.

I do know this…

I’ve read Night, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Hiding Place, and The Auschwitz Escape and thought “Never Again.”

I’ve watched Schindler’s List, The Pianist, Defiance, and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and thought “Never Again.”

I’ve walked the halls of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and Yad Vashem and thought “Never Again.”

I’ve stood before the ovens of Dachau concentration camp and thought “Never Again.”

And yet, I still don’t know what I would do if I lived then and there. You see, it’s much easier to care – to feel a heart tug of compassion – than it is to take action. It’s easier to think grandiose thoughts after the tragedy than it is to predict brave actions before.

Why all this pondering? A few reasons…

First, today is Holocaust Remembrance Day or Yom Ha’Shoah, a day to remember what happened, teach of it to a new generation, and pray history doesn’t repeat itself. After all, as Santayana said, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Second, I finished reading “The Auschwitz Escape” by Joel Rosenberg a few days ago. Although historical fiction, Joel based the story on the real-life actions of four men who dared to risk their lives, not only to save countless individuals but also to expose the Nazi’ atrocities to a world who would have rather stayed oblivious. The well-written and well-researched novel forces us to consider questions such as “What would I have done?”

Third, and most importantly, I’m pondering these questions because it may happen here and now; the outcome may be worse than it was then and there. I consider the question, “What would I have done?” because I may be forced to answer it by my actions.

Christian and Jewish persecution is increasing at an incredible rate. Headlines of horror come out of Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Somalia, Nigeria, Kenya, Libya, and many more. It’s easy to ignore them because it’s the Middle East and northern Africa – isn’t something bad always going on over there?

But evil – left unchecked – spreads.

Headlines now come out of places like France and England… and the United States.

What I do Know

Like I said, I don’t know what I would have done if I lived in Europe during World War II. I also don’t know what I’ll do to help those suffering in the hands of evil today.

I do know one thing, however. I know God’s Word promises a lot of good things in the midst of evil persecution. I know it not by my own experience; I’ve never suffered persecution. I know it because God’s Word says it and His promises are a truer source of information than any personal anecdote could ever be.

I know that in the midst of persecution, God’s Word promises…

• the advancement of His message (Philippians 1:12, 18)
• encouragement and confidence (Philippians 1:14)
• a reason to rejoice (Philippians 1:18, James 1:2)
• the ability to endure (2 Corinthians 1:6)
• comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
• the ability to trust Him through prayer (2 Corinthians 1:9-11)
• growth and maturity (James 1:4)

I wrote more in-depth about these in Everything We Need. They don’t seem logical or possible but they are our reality. What a hope in an unknown future! After all, as Corrie herself once said, "I've experienced His Presence in the deepest, darkest hell that men can create... I have tested the promises of the Bible, and believe me, you can count on them."

Israel: Does this small nation still matter?

When was the last time the news covered stories from Brazil, Vietnam, or South Africa? You probably don’t know. I know I don’t. What about hot spots like China, Ukraine, or Venezuela? You might hear them mentioned every week or two. One country, however, is in American news almost every day, despite being about 6,000 miles away – Israel.

Another place mentions Israel a lot – my Bible. In fact, my Bible uses the word Israel almost 3,000 times although some of them refer to Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham who is one of the nation’s founding fathers. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel after the two wrestled one night (Genesis 32:24-32). His many sons became the fathers of Israel’s twelve tribes.

So, Israel’s in the news and in the Bible. Why does that warrant a blog article? America and Israel have been key allies since Israel declared independence in 1948. President Truman was the first world leader to recognize Israel’s statehood on the world stage. From that point on, America and Israel have been key allies. However, that is changing. The Obama administration is distancing itself from this important middle-east relationship. I’m writing to share that I stand with Israel and why…

Why do I stand with Israel?

God’s blessing is on Israel
God blesses many individuals, but not many nations. I personally believe the hand of God’s blessing led to America’s prosperity over the last 200 years. Even that, however, may very well be due to our historical support and relationships with the Jewish people. Yes, our support for them goes back much further than 1948. I also believe that if we, as a nation, discontinue our support and friendship with God’s chosen people, then He will remove His blessing from us.

After all, Israel is the only nation of which God has said, “I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the people on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3).

God’s treasure is Israel
Treasures are rare; I know I’ve never seen one. Yet God placed one treasure in this world – the Jewish people and the blessing that comes through them. God called Abraham’s descendants out of slavery in Egypt. A short distance into their journey, God was ready to take them to the next level. He was ready to make a covenant with them that would include the giving of His Law. In this covenant, God promised to separate them out as a holy nation as long as they obeyed Him. He told Moses to tell the people, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6 NIV).

God’s love is for Israel
Yes, I know what you’re thinking – God loves the world. He loves everyone in the world. He loved them enough that “He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). That love was ultimately expressed through God’s only Son, Jesus, who is also the son of Solomon, son of David, King of Israel. The queen of Sheba spoke words to Solomon which I believe are also prophetic of his descendant, King Jesus. “May Yahweh your God be praised! He delighted in you and put you on the throne of Israel, because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel. He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness” (1 Kings 10:9).

God’s eye is on Israel
Many people groups from the Bible no longer exist. We don’t hear about the Perizzites, Agagites, Hittites, or Amalekites in the nightly news because they don’t exist. Other biblical people groups are still around such as the Persians (Iranians), Greeks, Romans, Syrians, and Egyptians.

Israel holds a unique position, however. The Jews were scattered – disbursed among the nations in the late part of the first century AD. However, God promised the land of Israel to the Jewish people and He promised that a remnant would always remain, no matter how many times evil tried to exterminate them. So, despite their dispersion for nearly 2,000 years, the Jewish people aren’t destroyed as were the Hittites and Amalekites. They remain and God is bringing them back to their homeland en masse.

I’d encourage you to read all of Jeremiah 31 but let me share a few verses here, “Nations, hear the word of the Lord, and tell it among the far off coastlands! Say: The One who scattered Israel will gather him. He will watch over him as a shepherd guards his flock, for the Lord has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the power of one stronger than he” (Jeremiah 31:10-11).

God still has a plan for Israel
God’s plan since Adam has been the redemption of all mankind. It was never only about one people group. It’s for those who, like Abraham, believe God and God credits their belief to them as righteousness (Romans 4:3). From Abraham came Isaac who then had Jacob whom God renamed Israel. Through Israel’s son Judah came King David, King Solomon, and later, Jesus. Through Jesus, all nations are blessed and salvation has come to the whole world.

God still has a plan to redeem Israel. They haven’t fallen from grace so as to be unredeemable. Praise God, no one can fall so far that God can’t still reach them. “I ask, then, have they stumbled in order to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Now if their stumbling brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full number bring!” (Romans 11:11-12).

God’s attention may have shifted to the Gentile church for a while but soon it will shift back to Israel. Now, He calls them home physically to their land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River but soon He will call them home spiritually. “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at Me whom they pierced. … On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the residents of Jerusalem, to wash away sin and impurity. … They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say: They are My people, and they will say: Yahweh is our God” (Zechariah 12:10, 13:1, 9).

I stand with God

God made all of these promises to the Jewish people. He promised to bless them and keep them as His treasured possession. He promised to love them and watch over them. He promised to not forsake them but to redeem them. He promised to take them as His people and to be their God.

I stand with Israel because I refuse to accept that God would go back on His promises. “God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). God’s spoken word can’t and won’t be broken. His promises don’t change. So, I stand with Israel. Why? Because I stand with God.

The Servant Suffers: Finding victory in the pain of suffering

“Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). We know this to be true from these writings in the Old Testament / Torah but Paul confirmed it again in Romans 4 of the New Testament. For Jews and Christians alike, Abraham was a man of righteousness.

He was also a man of blessing. It was to him that God spoke, “Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:1-3).

I doubt Abraham had any idea the persecution and trials that would befall the Jewish people – his descendants through Isaac and Jacob – over the next several millennia. From the Egyptian enslavement, through countless attempts at extermination, and culminating in a final attack prophesied by Ezekiel which is still yet to happen, the Jewish people have suffered. They have known pain unlike any other ethnic group.

Many people of compassion look at Jewish history and ask, “Why?”

The Hebrew prophet Isaiah offers a hint of explanation in one of his most well-known prophecies. Yet, we often overlook it.

Join us as we consider Isaiah 52:13-53:12 – the fourth of Isaiah’s songs of the suffering servant. In this five-part study, we’ll consider the role Jewish persecution had to play in the coming of the Messiah, the significance of Jesus’ humanity, the purpose for Jesus’ life and death on earth, and the outcome for all humanity, including the Jewish people.

Click on picture to view a downloadable, printable pdf file of the study.

What do I do with it?

Several people have asked for copies of various blog series over the years. We're thrilled to make them available to you in a free downloadable, printable format. We've even added questions at the end for personal reflection or group discussion.

Click here to view the full selection of available Bible study downloads.

As hard as this is to believe, not everyone in the world has an internet connection. Not everyone has access to online study resources or neighborhood Christian book stores. Some of those who do have access don't know where to start when it comes to Bible study. So here are some suggestions on what you can do with these free downloads...

• Use them as a guide for your own personal Bible study time on a daily or weekly basis.
• Send them to a friend, relative, or missionary living in a remote location.
• Start a short term study with friends at work, in your neighborhood, or in your church.
• Be creative! Let us know in the comment section how you may utilize these resources!

Click on the above picture to open a .pdf file. From there, you may either download it to your computer or print the file.

May God bless your time in the study of His Word!

Netanyahu: A man called for such a time as this

History does indeed repeat itself.

I toured the Jewish concentration camp Dachau while on a mission trip in 1992. I read a sign on a particular display that I’ve never forgotten. Even in the moment, it impacted me enough that I took a picture of it.

It’s a well-known expression but I find it appropriate that I first learned it in a concentration camp. In English it reads, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (George Santayana).

I took a picture of another sign that day 23 years ago. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reminded me of it today when he addressed holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel during a speech to the US Congress. He reminded all of us that the horror experienced by Mr. Wiesel and the powerful life he has lived since those atrocities is a testimony to why we must all proclaim, “Never Again.”

Approximately 2,500 years ago, a man named Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, the chief minister under King Ahasuerus in Persia. Rage enflamed Haman; when he discovered Mordecai was a Jew, he decided to destroy the entire Jewish race rather than execute only Mordecai. Haman manipulated King Ahasuerus to bring about the Jewish people’s annihilation. He wrote a decree “to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people – young and old, women and children – and plunder their possessions on a single day” (Esther 3:13, emphasis mine).

Queen Esther, a Jew who had until that point concealed her ethnicity, stepped up in a phenomenal act of bravery. At the urging of her cousin and guardian, Mordecai, she approached King Ahasuerus to plead the case of the Jewish people. Esther’s life was in danger the moment she stepped into the king’s presence unannounced as he could have had her executed for doing so. After a series of acts which displayed her humility, the King asked her to reveal the desire of her heart. She boldly yet humbly petitioned, “If I have obtained your approval, my king, and if the king is pleased, spare my life – this is my request; and spare my people – this is my desire. For I and my people have been sold out to destruction, death, and extermination” (Esther 7:3-4).

In the end, the king ordered Haman executed on the gallows Haman had built to execute Mordecai. The king gave the Jewish people the freedom to defend themselves, sparing the genocide of their race.

Despite the passing of 25 centuries since Esther’s act of bravery, the Jewish people still celebrate her every year on Purim. This year, Purim falls on March 4-5 on our calendar.

25 centuries later, Persian leadership once again threatens Israel’s existence in the form of Iranian nuclear capabilities. They likewise could destroy the Jewish people in a single day once their weapons are complete. The leader of the Jewish state of Israel, PM Netanyahu, spoke to the US Congress on March 3rd, the eve of Purim. Similar to Queen Esther in the past, his petition went against all established protocol of the time. Similar to Queen Esther, he made the request to stop the promised annihilation of the Jewish people. And like Queen Esther, I believe PM Netanyahu came forward in humility but also knowing that if he didn’t speak, massive death would come upon his nation and his people.

The timing of this event reminds me of one more correlation with the ancient Queen Esther. God has promised an eternal destiny for His chosen people, Israel. They will survive and indeed have done so through multiple persecutions throughout history. But for PM Netanyahu, as was the case with Queen Esther, “If you keep silent at this time, liberation and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s house will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).

PM Netanyahu submitted to his call for such a time as this as he declared to the world, “The days when the Jewish people remain passive in the face of genocidal enemies – those days are over.”

I’ll leave all the political ramifications of this speech to the political pundits.

Here’s what I see, though. The Obama administration has deteriorated our relationship with Israel – a country of freedom and democracy. They also have validated relationships with terrorist regimes such as Iran – a country of “death, tyranny, and the pursuit of jihad,” as PM Netanyahu shared.

Lines are being drawn in the sands of the Middle East; on which side of the line will we stand?

I think now is the time for us to individually consider this question. We tend to think all of this is over there – thousands of miles away – and doesn’t matter to us. Our jobs and activities keep us from taking time to educate ourselves as to the multiple crises occurring throughout the Middle East.

But here’s the deal. A time is coming when the world’s attention will focus quite intently on the Middle East. The Bible prophesies many earth changing events still to happen in that region of the world. We need to know what’s going on, how situations might fit in with prophesied events, and discern which side of the line we will choose.

We have different priorities by which we choose which side of the line we prefer. Democracy, freedom, rights for different races, religions, and genders, economic resources, and social standards are among the criteria we naturally consider. However, biased reporting and dishonest leadership can make those areas very difficult to accurately assess.

Let me give you one key criteria that’s very simple and won’t let you down – side with Israel. As events occur, deals are negotiated, and wars and rumors of wars come – side with Israel.

God made it very simple when He said thousands of years ago to the Jewish patriarch Abraham, “Go out from your land, … to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, … I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:1-3).

The Rock: It's Jesus

Yes, Jesus is the Rock. And, “The Rock – His way is perfect” (Deuteronomy 32:4).

I’ve been hinting at it in the two previous articles but there it is in all its complex simplicity. This powerful name – The Rock – links the God of the Old Testament with the Messiah Jesus of the New Testament.

He is the rock of the Old Testament in Psalm 95:1-11. “Come, let us shout joyfully to the Lord, shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation! Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout triumphantly to Him in song. For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. … Today, if you hear His voice: Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on that day at Massah in the wilderness where your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they had seen what I did.” (Psalm 95:1-3, 7-9; Meribah and Massah were the names of the location where God first brought water from the rock in Exodus 17:7.)

He is the rock of the New Testament in 1 Corinthians 10:1-11. “Now I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:1-5).

He is the Rock of our salvation.

He is the Rock of provision and protection.

The Rock of Salvation

Despite all God did – He gave us life and created a perfect planet on which we might live – we rejected Him. We ignored Him and followed after what we thought was best. Yet because He chose us and cut covenant with us, He provided a way of salvation so we might still spend eternity with Him. Salvation came through the sacrificial death of Jesus.

The Rock of Provision

Jesus is the Rock that provides living water. Jesus even said, “Whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again – ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life” (John 4:14).

In Exodus 17, Moses struck the Rock causing water to flow. We, in a sinful state as defined by the Law of Moses, struck Jesus; blood and water flowed from His pierced side. He gave His death that we might live.

In Numbers 20, Moses struck the Rock when God commanded him to only speak to the Rock. How many times do we allow sin to manifest in our lives as we strike Jesus again – repeatedly – with our selfish sin? Jesus died once and for all; we must only speak to Him and living water will flow once again. We come before Him with a humble heart as we present our need. The blessings will flow once again like a river of living water.

The Rock of Protection

Moses couldn’t behold the glorious face of God despite his desire to do so. God hid Moses in the Rock to protect him as God passed by behind him. Likewise, we can’t stand before the glorious presence of God. Yet the righteousness of Christ covers us.

Jesus – The Rock

I stood before a massive cliff at Banias in northern Israel. Ancient ruins remained where people had once carved a temple of idol worship into the side of the massive cliff. The smoke of sacrifices still blackened a cave all these centuries later. At one time, water gushed from the cave although today it only trickles out beneath the bedrock. This was one of many locations where Israelites and Greeks alike had worshiped their little rocks, forsaking the Rock whose way is perfect.

Jesus and His disciples also stood at this location 2,000 years ago. At that time, water probably still gushed out from the cave in the rocky cliff. Jesus asked Peter at that time, “‘who do you say that I am?’

“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!’

“And Jesus responded, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:16-18).

I believe Jesus stood there with Peter and took in all the activities of idol worship under the crags of the rocky cliff. He started with general questions but quickly made it personal. He point blank asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” In other words, am I one of these little rocks?

Peter, under the guidance of the Spirit of God, recognized Jesus wasn’t a little rock; He was the Rock. He was the promised Messiah, the Son of God.

What better place for Jesus, after Peter’s confession of belief, to point to him and say, “You are Peter (petros, a rock or a stone).” To then point to Himself and continue, “and upon this rock (petra, a rock, cliff, or ledge) I will build my church.” Finally, to sweep His arm toward the temple and finish by saying, “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18 NIV).

Jesus was declaring, I am the Rock and My way is perfect. I am your salvation. I am your protection. I am your provision. The forces of Hades will not overpower Me. The gates of hell will not prevail against Me.

The Rock: Rejecting the truth to follow a lie

“Pay attention, heavens, and I will speak; listen, earth, to the words of my mouth.

“Let my teaching fall like rain and my word settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass and showers on tender plants.

“For I will proclaim Yahweh’s name.

“Declare the greatness of our God!

“The Rock – His work is perfect; all His ways are entirely just. A faithful God, without prejudice, He is righteous and true” (Deuteronomy 32:4).

Gentleness and tenderness build to a dramatic proclamation as Moses declares to the people a new name for Holy God.

The chapter continues with powerful words to the people as they have allowed corruption and deceit to permeate their lives. They did so despite all that God had done for them. He created them as God but He also sustained them as would a Father (verse 6). He pulled them out of desolation to make them His chosen people (verses 9-10). He was God to them – Most High over all other gods (verse 12). He blessed them in abundance (verses 13-14).

And yet…, 

I shake my head as I see myself and our culture in their response.

Despite all God did for His people, they gorged themselves on the provision rather than the Provider. They became fat and bloated on it (verses 15). They ignored the God of their fathers as they followed after foreign gods and deceptive demons (verses 16-17).

“They ignored the Rock who gave them birth; they forgot the God who gave birth to them” (Deuteronomy 32:18 paraphrased).

They ignored the Rock – and the response didn’t go well for the people of Israel (verses 19-27). They never realized weak earthly attacks couldn’t come against them “unless their Rock had sold them, unless the Lord had given them up” (Deuteronomy 32:30).

They followed their little idols not realizing that “their ‘rock’ is not like our Rock” (Deuteronomy 32:31).

And yet, despite all their gorging selfishness and their love affair with the idols of Satan, “the Lord will indeed vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants” (Deuteronomy 32:36).

Why on earth would He do such a thing?

God’s mercy and grace pour out on His people because they are just that – His people. Their sin is ugly – horrifying, really – but Holy God cut covenant with them. If He went back on His word and didn’t provide for them, then He would be an untrustworthy liar. That’s not going to happen. Not only that, but if He doesn’t protect them, then those who brought down His people would take credit for their destruction. Or, in other words, Satan would get the glory for bringing the defeat of God’s people. Again, not going to happen. (See verses 26-27. Did you notice the italics on provide and protect? Remember those words because they’ll be important in the next part of this series.)

“See now that I alone am He; there is no God but Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal. No one can rescue anyone from My hand” (Deuteronomy 32:39).

Why do we care?

We care because we see ourselves in the Israelite people. God didn’t only create them – He created us. He didn’t only sustain them as would a Father – He sustains us. He pulled us out of desolation and chose us as His people – adopted in as children of Abraham. He is our Most High God with abundant blessings.

And we said, “Screw it. I don’t care. I want my own way. I want to pour my passion into the ‘rocks’ because I know better than the Rock does.”

Even still, He has compassion on us. Even still, He provides with the Rock of living water in the desert. He protects us in the cleft of the Rock. This is going to get good…please continue on for the next part.

El Elyon: Determine which God claims the throne of your heart

What goes up must come down.

You reap what you sow.

Every action requires an opposite reaction.

Most high means something else is most low.

Our focus this month on Grow Barefoot social media is different names of God found in the Old Testament. Each day on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, I post a little something about a different name for the one true God based on the first place Scripture uses that name.

I found a really cool one this week so, of course, I want to share a little more of it with you!

El Elyon

The Hebrew name El Elyon means God Most High. It’s first use probably won’t seem significant at first… “Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High” (Genesis 14:18). Yawn, some king with a hard name, some bread, and some wine was a priest. Who cares?

Context is everything

Please hover your cursor here to read Genesis 14:17-23.

Abram (God later changed his name to Abraham) experienced a great military victory to rescue his nephew, Lot. After the victory, the king of Sodom and the king of Salem both came out to meet him.

Melchizedek, the king of Salem, brought bread, wine, and a blessing for Abram. Bera, the king of Sodom, brought nothing; however, he told Abram he could keep all the goods he had retrieved as long as he gave the people back to Bera. Melchizedek was not only king but also priest of the Most High God. Bera – well, he was the king of Sodom. We can guess the quality of his character.

Abram had two very different responses to the two men. He responded to Melchizedek by giving him a tenth of everything. In contrast, Abram declared to Bera that he wanted nothing from him and nothing to do with him. His reason? Abram had made an oath to God Most High. Allegiance to one necessitated total rejection of the other.

How does this fit with the name El Elyon?

Each new name for God reveals a new aspect of His character and our relationship with Him. The context helps us understand these new aspects.

I taught my daughters a few years ago about superlatives; for example, the best, the worst, or the hardest. We only use superlatives to compare three or more things. Again, as an example, the comment “That girl jumped the highest” indicates at least two other girls were jumping with her and she was the highest of the three.

The name God Most High indicates at least two other beings who would like to also be god. Yahweh God is most high over these other beings. And you know what? I can quickly think of two other beings who would rather be god instead of Yahweh – Satan and us. Yet, God is God Most High over both of them.

How does this fit with the story of Abram’s battle?

God, Satan, and Abram’s own ego fought for the throne of Abram’s heart. Any of them could have walked away with the victory.

Abram

Abram just completed an impressive military victory. He and his 318 men defeated an army that had terrorized the region for fourteen years. During that time, they had conquered and ruled over fourteen different people groups. Pride could have overcome Abram in the aftermath of his victory. He could have become the god of his own heart.

Bera, king of Sodom

Bera held claim to all the goods and people Abram received in his battle. Although Bera wanted to retain rights to the people, he freely offered Abram the goods of the whole city. This would have made Abram a very rich man.

Bera reminds me of Satan in this story. He’s the king of a city totally opposed to the message of God. The prophet Ezekiel wrote her sin was that she “had pride, plenty of food, and comfortable security, but didn’t support the poor and needy” (Ezekiel 16:49). Also similar to Satan, Bera is willing to give Abram all of the riches but he wants to hold onto the lives of the people. Satan is after the people, not the riches.

Satan – working through Bera and his city of Sodom – could have claimed the throne of Abram’s heart. He could have lured Abram away with his promise of riches, security, and tempting indiscretions.

Melchizedek, king of Salem

Just as Bera reminds me of Satan, Melchizedek points us to the one true God, Yahweh. He came to Abram not wanting to take but to give. He brought Abram bread and wine – perhaps this foreshadows Jesus as King and Priest who gave His body and blood for us in a sacrifice we remember with the eating of bread and drinking of wine.

Melchizedek also gave Abram a blessing just as Jesus did us. “Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and told the good news ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you. So those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith. ... The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:8-9, 14). Or more simply put, “Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Ephesians 1:3).

God – working through His priest Melchizedek – could have claimed the throne of Abram’s heart with His gift of bread, wine, and blessing.

Which did Abram choose?

Abram emphatically declared to Bera, king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand in oath to Yahweh, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth” (Genesis 14:22). He went on to tell Bera that he basically wanted nothing to do with him.

Abram didn’t let his own military might and power rule. He didn’t let the riches and security of empty promises rule. He chose the third option and submitted to the Most High God. He openly displayed his choice by willingly giving Melchizedek a tenth of all that he had in response to the bread, wine, and blessing.

Why do we care about the name used for God?

Our circumstances may look different but we all still face the same choice. Who will rule over the throne of our heart?

Will we take pride in our own power and conquests as we exalt our own ego?

Will we allow Satan to lure us away with empty promises of riches and security?

Or will we pick the third option – the superlative best – and allow God Most High to rule in our hearts? 

He comes to us with the gift of His body and blood sacrificed for us and the promise of unimaginable blessing. Will we, like Abram, recognize His claim to our heart and lovingly return to Him an offering from all that we have?

So Many Thoughts; One Common Message

I can’t decide what to write about this week. So many thoughts.

I want to write about…

…this article by Jefferson Bethke on the modesty of a woman’s attire. I loved it because it points out that modesty can become an idol – a self-righteous sign of holiness and piety. It can become a legalistic stumbling block just as can an immodest wardrobe.

…another article by Joel Rosenberg regarding the war in Israel. I loved it because it discussed God’s miraculous power to protect His covenant people today.

…my husband’s coming trip to Africa. He’ll be leading a team to install a solar panel system for a missionary family serving in a remote location.

…a recent conversation with a friend. She rejoiced in her ability to defeat the rules and regulations of a highly-religious / non-relational childhood.

… the book “Spirit Bridge” by James L. Rubart that I read recently. It’s the third in a trilogy that confronts the shackles of religion and embraces the possibilities of a life fully lived.

Why do I want to write about all these things?

They all have one thing in common – freedom in Christ.

• Freedom to dress in a way that honors God.
• Freedom to live peacefully in relationship with God.
• Freedom to share and serve and love a people group who haven’t heard the truth.
• Freedom to be who God created us to be in our lives and our relationships.
• Freedom to fight an enemy who loathes our relationship with Christ.

I want to write about these things because these people are sharing the impact of spiritual freedom in their lives; an impact I have likewise felt. And I want you to know about it. 

I want you to experience a love relationship with a Savior Creator that exceeds anything you can possibly imagine. I want you to rest in His provision and plan as our world crumbles around us. I want you to experience the “coincidences” of a life lived trusting Him, even in the details. I want you to find the peace of a life lived out of love and honor, not rules and regulations.

I want those things for you. And I don’t know how else to share them with you than to continue to write – hoping you’ll read, hoping you’ll share, hoping you’ll consider, hoping you’ll experience freedom in Christ. And in case you do want to read - share - consider - experience, here's a link to every article I've written about what it means to Live Free. 

The Message of Christ

The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify Him.

Isaiah 61:1-3

Fly Like an Eagle: Exchanging our strength for God's

But those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).

I posted this verse on Facebook and Twitter; it received a lot of attention. This popular verse is a favorite for many of us who follow Christ. After all, it makes us feel good. But what does it mean – below the surface – in the heart of the passage?

It’s in the middle of a long prophecy by Isaiah. A little context will help us here. Isaiah 40 alternates back and forth between descriptions of God and descriptions of humanity. Here they are in summary –

This is Him. He is…

• The glory of the revealed King (40:3-5).
• The eternal Word (40:8).
• The God of power and reward (40:9-10).
• The Good Shepherd (40:11).
• The Creator of the earth (40:12).
• The Source of wisdom and knowledge (40:13-14).
• Superior to man-made idols (40:18-20).
• Enthroned high above the earth (40:21-22).
• The Creator of the starry universe (40:25-26).

This is us. We are…

• Deserving punishment for sin (40:1-2).
• Withered grass and fallen flowers (40:6-8).
• Nothing – even our greatest nations and rulers are nothing (40:15-17, 23-24).
• Grasshoppers (40:22).

And yet we say…

Despite the awesomeness of who He is and despite the temporal, disobedient mess that we are, we have the nerve and the audacity to say, “God doesn’t know and He wouldn’t care if He did” (40:27 paraphrase).

But here’s the point…

He alone is the eternal Creator. He’ll never grow tired or weary. Even kids eventually get tired and wear out but God doesn’t. He won’t. He can’t (40:28-31).

We may be as weak as a withered piece of grass. We may deserve punishment for our sin. We may appear as a grasshopper. But God is willing to renew us. That little word renew – don’t skim by it! Take a moment to think about it. It means to substitute, to change for the better, to make new. That’s a pretty amazing offer for the eternal Creator to be willing to take our tired, worn out, weak selves and give us His strength instead. We can exchange our strength – or lack thereof – for His incredible strength that never does wear out! Only then can we “run and not grow weary;” only then can we “walk and not faint” (40:31)

How is that possible?

He offers this exchange to those who trust Him – to those who put their hope in Him (40:31). It’s that simple. Recognize who God is and Jesus the Messiah as His Son. Recognize He is eternal Creator and you’re a sinner in need of rescue from coming punishment. Click here to read more about a relationship with God.

In case that’s not enough…

Those who trust in the Lord will exchange their strength for God’s strength but there’s more. They will also soar on wings like eagles. This is some pretty cool symbolism. I say symbolism because Christ’s followers don’t really fly on the wings of some giant, magical eagle. Just thought I’d make sure you knew that.

Three other times in God’s Word He used the symbolism of His people being carried on eagle’s wings. They are all pretty significant.

In Exodus 19:3-6, Moses wrote that God carried the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt on the wings of an eagle. He even went further and promised that if they obeyed His Word and kept covenant then they would be His treasured possession.

In Deuteronomy 32:8-12, Moses wrote of Jacob. God found Jacob alone in the desert; at that time, He gave Jacob the Promised Land as an inheritance. From then on, God shielded Jacob and cared for him as an eagle does her young – just as she carries them on her wings. Jacob trusted God alone – no foreign God – and God alone led Him.

In Revelation 12:14, John prophetically wrote of a still unfulfilled time period. At that time, God will once again give Israel the wings of an eagle to carry her to safety during the time of the Antichrist.

These three Scriptural examples tell us a lot about the freedom to soar on wings like eagles. Just as God did the Israelites in Egypt, God frees those who trust Him from the oppression of slavery and makes us His treasured possession. Just as He did for Jacob, He leads those who trust Him until they reach the Promised Land of eternity. Just like He’ll do for Israel in the future, He’ll protect those who trust Him as He brings defeat to our enemies.

Like I said, it’s a pretty cool exchange. I’m ready to fly like an eagle.

Behold the Lamb, Children of God

God’s Word never grows boring; its depth never ends. We continue to work through Isaiah’s fourth song of the suffering servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). This prophetic passage is so rich in meaning on the surface but the intricacies and details becoming even richer as we dive deeper into each stanza. So many of these words and phrases hold a life of their own – they leave me wanting to know more! How deep can we go into some of these things? Maybe a book someday. It’s too much for this series!

Where we’ve been

Wake Up, City of God, (stanza one) – the sufferings of the Jewish people foreshadowed the suffering of the Servant of God.

Believe It, People of God (stanza two) – as hard as it might be to believe, the Servant Messiah would come as a man. God would become a man.

Consider the Why, Rebels of God (stanza three) – The people suffered, the Servant suffered, and He came to earth as a man for a pinnacle purpose. He came to carry our sickness and pain, to restore our covenant relationship, and to enable us to live life on His path.

This stanza picks up where the last one left off – the oppression and affliction of the Servant. These torments came upon Him because of our perversion and distortion of the truth. That was the “why” we looked at last week.

Here we see His response. He didn’t say a word. He could’ve declared His right to the glory of heaven. He could have proclaimed truth as a double-edged sword that would have brought His accusers to defeat. The mouth that spoke and created the universe could have spoke again and created a kingdom with Himself as King.

He could have, but He didn’t. Why not? Because when He does do those things, He wants us there with Him. That only happens if He makes a way for it to happen because we can’t ascend to that level of righteousness on our own. He did so by dying so that His blood would protect us. Kind of like the Passover lamb did for the ancient Jewish people.

Behold the Lamb, Children of God

“Like a lamb”
The lamb is first mentioned in the Bible as the animal God provided as a substitution for Isaac when God told Abraham to sacrifice him on Mount Moriah. The blood of the sacrificed lamb also provided protection for the people of Israel during the tenth plague in Egypt. The Jewish people still celebrated this event during the time of Isaiah, during the time of Jesus, and even still today although without the lamb. (That’s significant but more than we can get into here.)

This lamb isn’t sacrificed, though; he’s slaughtered. The men who sent Jesus to His death didn’t do so as if they were offering up the Passover lamb even though He did die on Passover. In the minds of Jesus’ accusers, they were sending Him to slaughter. Slaughter is a sign of power and judgment. They executed judgment and power to bring Jesus to His death.

Let me point out here, though, that the Servant went willingly to His suffering. “I am laying down my life so I may take it up again” (John 10:17). He also said Satan himself has no authority to bring Him to His death. Jesus went willingly.

“Like a sheep”
Three of Jesus’ forefathers – Jacob, Judah, and David – had interesting stories involving the shearing of sheep (Genesis 31, Genesis 38, and 1 Samuel 25, respectively). It’s too much to write about here; let me just say they all involve partying, drunkenness, deception, revenge, transferred blessing, and ascent to power.

And that’s exactly what we see in Isaiah 53 with the Servant as a sheep before shearers. The shearers – the Jewish leadership of Jesus’ day – are drunk with their own power and self-righteousness. The end result is God denies them the blessing they think they’ve earned. The blessing goes to another; in this case, it goes to all people as the Servant provides salvation for all the earth. The Servant ascends to power as He conquers sin and death and is seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, “far above every rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21).

Through it all, again, he was silent. The tongue of the Word Made Flesh was bound - bound as is a sheep while the wool is shorn. Once more, He knew His death must come first.

So…

He was cut off from the land of the living – cut off, just as the wool is shorn from the body of the sheep.

He was struck because of our rebellion – struck, just like the plague struck the people of Egypt who didn’t have the blood of the lamb on their doorpost.

He made His grave with the wicked – wicked, just like those destroyed in Sodom and Gomorrah.

Even still, “He had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully” (Isaiah 53:9). He still was the spotless, unblemished Passover Lamb. Cut off, struck, among the wicked –Why? So we could paint the blood of the Lamb on the doorposts of our hearts; so we could experience freedom from slavery and life instead of death.

Read about the fifth stanza, Isaiah 53:10-12, by clicking here: Receive the Victory, Chosen of God