Tag: warnings

A Warning and a Reassurance (Isaiah 32:9-20)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Prophet Isaiah, by Sefira Lightstone

You women who are so complacent,
    rise up and listen to me;
you daughters who feel secure,
    hear what I have to say!
In little more than a year
    you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail,
    and the harvest of fruit will not come.
Tremble, you complacent women;
    shudder, you daughters who feel secure!
Strip off your fine clothes
    and wrap yourselves in rags.
Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,
    for the fruitful vines
and for the land of my people,
    a land overgrown with thorns and briers—
yes, mourn for all houses of merriment
    and for this city of revelry.
The fortress will be abandoned,
    the noisy city deserted;
citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever,
    the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
till the Spirit is poured on us from on high,
    and the desert becomes a fertile field,
    and the fertile field seems like a forest.
The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert,
    his righteousness live in the fertile field.
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;
    its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.
My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,
    in secure homes,
    in undisturbed places of rest.
Though hail flattens the forest
    and the city is leveled completely,
how blessed you will be,
    sowing your seed by every stream,
    and letting your cattle and donkeys range free. (New International Version)

The biblical prophets spoke their prophecies for a reason, usually because there was some sort of injustice happening. And typically they addressed those with power, authority, and influence within society – who were doing something wrong, or were simply unaware of what was happening around them. In other words, the people ought to know better.

A Warning Against Complacency

The prophet Isaiah was specifically addressing particular folks, in our Old Testament lesson for today. Isaiah was calling out those who were complacent and living a life of ease. There was a chunk of society in Isaiah’s day who were safe, secure, affluent, comfortable, and rested on their laurels and their resources. Such persons didn’t ever think the thought that their lifestyle was temporary.

The warning of Isaiah was directed specifically to the well-off women in society. Concerning the rich and powerful, the biblical prophets had a tendency to address the women, e.g. the prophet Amos went after the women, calling them “the cows of Bashan.” (Amos 4:1)

The tone of Isaiah’s warning here is much more toward preparing the rich for a time when they won’t be able to rely on their wealth and affluence – they will be stripped of what they have. The women, Isaiah warned, need to prepare themselves for a time of grief.

In other words, they need to face up to what is about to occur, and not idle their lives away merrily as if nothing will ever happen to change their way of life.

Realize, Isaiah says, that the land will be emptied of life, and that resources will become scarce. You women will be reduced to near poverty. The once pride and joy of your nice house will quickly become, in no time at all, a turn of pride and joy in at least having a donkey to sit on.

The happy world they presently know will soon become nothing but a memory.

That is, until a new spirit takes over…

A Reassurance of Newness

Lamenting a loss will not happen forever. The grief shall eventually break. Not everything will be doom and gloom, as if it is some sort of new normal. Positive hope is also on the horizon. A spirit will be given, Isaiah insists, that will generate a wonderful restorative newness.

From a New Testament perspective, the spirit which is given is the Comforter. The Holy Spirit of God moves us through our grief and helps us realize a new lease on life.

“But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me.”

Jesus (John 15:26, MEV)

The Spirit is the very force of God in the world, given to help us live into grace and truth – thus, turning injustice to justice, fear to faith, complacency to action, foolishness to wisdom. The desert is transformed into a garden, the dry land becomes lush and fruitful. All things are restored to vitality; people flourish and thrive again.

People’s needs, along with their great need for peaceful relational connections, will take their rightful place. Throughout the land there shall be human well-being. In other words, there is real peace – wholesomeness and integrity, with settled trust and rest in the plans and purposes of God.

In this present contemporary world of political instability for so many, instead of running about like Chicken Little believing that the sky is falling, people of faith can exhibit a peaceful confidence and a settled trust that grace and mercy will have the day.

We don’t need to live in fear, continually and anxiously vigilant to the bad thing around the corner. And when something good happens, we don’t have to wonder when the other shoe will drop. A good God has good purposes in store for humanity.

At the same time, those who are complacent and either cannot or will not see beyond the end of their nose, are served a merciful notice: They can become aware of how things really are – and do something about it.

Cycles of violence, pain, and injustice can and will be broken. Yet we must all do our part to become self-aware, acknowledge the arrogance within society, and determine that in faith we will trust in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth; and that we will work for a better society and a more fruitful culture.

We are truly not far from the kingdom of God.

Almighty Father, who gave your only Son to die for our sins and to rise for our justification, give me grace to put away the leaven of malice and evil – so that I may always serve you in purity of heart and truthfulness of mind; through Jesus Christ your Son, my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Learn by Example (1 Corinthians 10:6-13)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day 23,000 of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (New International Version)

To learn by example is a whole lot better than having to learn something the hard way. One of the lessons of Holy Scripture is that it contains many stories of what not to do, and the consequences of disobedience and experiencing hard things because of anger and stubbornness.

The ancient Israelites in the desert were a group of people who ended up having to learn most things the hard way – simply because they were too stubborn and independent to listen to Moses and obey God’s commands.

Dealing with upset and recalcitrant people is a drag. But there is such a simple solution to it that you might not even believe it. If you learn to practice the one simple solution to dealing with angry, stubborn, and insecure people, your time will open much wider; your own emotions will calm down a great deal; and, you may find the kind of peace and settled conviction that you long for.

You know the type. We have all dealt with them. That chronically upset relative or in-law who demands your time and attention; the insecure co-worker who is constantly chirping about something he does not like in the company; or, the cranky neighbor who only talks to you when something infringes on his person or property.  These scenarios, and many more, you and I either have or will face.

Perhaps the religiously and perpetually upset person or group is the worst – because they hide their fears, anxieties, and insecurities behind a façade of piety and performance.

Let angry people endure the backlash of their own anger; if you try to make it better, you’ll only make it worse. (Proverbs 19:19, MSG)

I once was in a wedding in which a bridesmaid was constantly upset about something all throughout the rehearsal and into the wedding day. It got so bad that, just as we were about to walk down the aisle, she became agitated about something she did not like, and angrily stormed away. 

What would you do in such a situation? What did I do? I did absolutely nothing. I ignored her, told the rest of the wedding party to not follow her, and went about the ceremony. When she saw no one was going to rescue her, she was in line at the last minute to participate. 

If there is a person in your life, or you are in a group, who has frequent emotional meltdowns about most anything, learn the example of Holy Scripture, and hear this wisdom principle that can change your life: 

Angry, stubborn, and insecure people get upset because it works – they get their way. Someone will come to their rescue and fix their anger. But if you will practice the simple solution of letting them just be upset and stew in their own juices without coming to their aid to make it all better, they will eventually stop sucking your time and energy into their angry upset vortex.

The disobedient and upset person is typically one with some sort of entitlement mentality. The bridesmaid didn’t like the way things were being done, and she felt “entitled” to have things go her way. She wasn’t used to accepting “no” like most other people have to do. She believed everyone else ought to adjust for her behavior.

The important point to note here is that it is not your job to fix their emotions; it isn’t your responsibility to smooth everything out so that everyone feels just fine and are calmed down. Instead, it is my job and your job to practice self-control and be responsible for our own emotional well-being. 

If you keep trying to calm an angry person and assuage their emotions to an even keel, you will have to do it again, and again, and again…. Until they figure out their anger doesn’t work, it just does not pay to be upset.

This means that, deep within your soul, you must move from the fear of negative emotions in others to positive possibilities in the right direction. Not everyone is going to like you, no matter how hard you try.

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

The Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 11:1, NIV)

Please understand that this does not mean we avoid helping others. It just means we don’t enable their bad behavior by solving their problems for them. We can walk beside them, encourage them, and teach them, but all without doing it for them.

Whenever we think we can handle things on our own, without anyone else’s input through consultation and collaboration, then we are setting up ourselves to have to learn the hard way. So, how will you choose to learn?

O God, by your Spirit, fashion our lives according to the example of your Son, and grant that we may show the power of your love to all among whom we live; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Some Wise Warnings (Proverbs 6:6-23)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

Go to the ant, you sluggard!
    Consider her ways and be wise.
Which, having no guide,
    overseer, or ruler,
provides her bread in the summer,
    and gathers her food in the harvest.

How long will you sleep, O sluggard?
    When will you arise out of your sleep?
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to sleep—
so will your poverty come upon you like a stalker,
    and your need as an armed man.

A wayward person, a wicked man,
    walks with a perverse mouth.
    He winks with his eyes,
    he signals with his feet,
    he motions with his fingers;
    perversity is in his heart,
    he devises mischief continually, he sows discord.
Therefore his calamity will come suddenly;
    in a moment he will be broken without remedy.

These six things the Lord hates,
    yes, seven are an abomination to him:
        a proud look,
        a lying tongue,
        and hands that shed innocent blood,
        a heart that devises wicked imaginations,
        feet that are swift in running to mischief,
        a false witness who speaks lies,
        and he who sows discord among brethren.

My son, keep your father’s commandment,
    and do not forsake the instruction of your mother.
Bind them continually upon your heart,
    and tie them around your neck.
When you go, they will lead you;
    when you sleep, they will keep you;
    and when you awake, they will speak with you.
For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light;
    and reproofs of instruction are the way of life. (Modern English Version)

A proverb is a short, pithy statement of experiential truth. In life, all things being equal, there are some predictable consequences to each decision and action we take.

To make idle, wicked, or adulterous decisions will result in disastrous outcomes – and the proverbial writer wants to help us steer clear of calamity. So, we have some sound and sage instruction which is meant for us to realize contentment and fulfillment in life and avoid the pitfalls of laziness, evil, and infidelity.

The Sluggard

We may typically think of the sluggard as a lazy person who just doesn’t want to work. That’s true, yet it runs even deeper and broader than that. A sluggard is someone always looking for the easy way out. Instead of persevering and being diligent in accomplishing large projects and demanding responsibilities, the sluggard tries to use their ingenuity to get the job done quickly.

The student who wants to take shortcuts, and doesn’t do the busywork of citing sources, or doing their due diligence in research, is a sluggard. The worker who cuts corners in order to move to another job they’d rather do, is a sluggard. The spouse who hastily buys some cheap flowers for their loved one from a street vendor, without even getting out of the car, is a sluggard. The minister who cuts and pastes some information from Google the night before teaching a lesson, is a sluggard.

And the results will likely be quite predictable: an “F” on the term paper; a punitive citation from the building inspector; the disappointment and anger from a wife; and the rebuke from a church. There’s no one to blame. All these sluggards will be out of a job and poverty will cozy up to them sooner than later.

What to do? Get some humility. Bend down and look at the busy ants. They work steadily, consistently, and carefully – and never lack.

The Wicked

The truly evil person enjoys creating chaos and upsetting folks through running their mouth off like a canon.

They get a kick out of poking the bear, sticking a hornets’ nest, and stirring the pot. And their chief means of doing it is their tongue. Damaging words are thrown about. Gaslighting, arguing, backbiting, slandering, and lying are the tools of their trade.

The wicked person might get what they want, in the short term; but in the long term, their end is sure. Brokenness and calamity will eventually catch up to them. They, like the sluggard, will have no one to blame for the consequences which overtake them; the ire of God will consume them.

What to do? Repent! Do a complete 180-degree turn from hubris to humility, lying to honesty, violent speech to encouraging words, disunity to harmony, separating to connecting, and from selfish behavior to working for the common good.

The Adulterer

The adulterer is one who is unfaithful. They make commitments and renege on them. The classic adulterer is one who cheats on their spouse and breaks their vow of marriage. Yet, there are various sorts of adultery that happen in this old fallen world.

The spiritual adulterer says they are committed to God, yet keep up a moonlighting affair with the world. The mental adulterer might never sleep with another, yet is committing deviant acts in their mind with others. The emotional adulterer gives a smooth line, yet is only trying to manipulate another into something the other person doesn’t want to do.

What to do? Come back to what you learned in childhood. Most parents, even if they fail to live up to their own instruction for their children, want what’s best for their kids. To nearly every adulterer, we can say, “I know your mama taught you better than that!”

Conclusion

An idle life, an evil tongue, and adulterous behavior will ultimately result in disaster, if left unchecked. The compiler of Proverbs is checking-in with us, making sure that we keep in sync with the good and beautiful way to live; and letting us know that the alternative to right living is some very calamitous consequences.

So, what will you choose?

Blessed and almighty God, take me to the place where I am saved from my pride and arrogance; where Christ’s humility becomes center-stage in my life; and where I’m lifting up clean hands and a pure heart in prayer. God and Parent of all, I bend my knee to receive truth; and I open my ears to receive counsel, and my heart to receive wisdom. Amen.

Listen to the Prophets (Jeremiah 25:1-14)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
St. Nicholas Church fresco of the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel by Leopold Bruckner, Prešov, Slovakia

This is the Message given to Jeremiah for all the people of Judah. It came in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah. It was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

Jeremiah the prophet delivered the Message to all the people of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem:

From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah right up to the present day—twenty-three years it’s been!—God’s Word has come to me, and from early each morning to late every night I’ve passed it on to you. And you haven’t listened to a word of it!

Not only that but God also sent a steady stream of prophets to you who were just as persistent as me, and you never listened. They told you, “Turn back—right now, each one of you!—from your evil way of life and bad behavior and live in the land God gave you and your ancestors, the land he intended to give you forever. Don’t follow the god-fads of the day, taking up and worshiping these no-gods. Don’t make me angry with your god-businesses, making and selling gods—a dangerous business!

“You refused to listen to any of this, and now I am really angry. These god-making businesses of yours are your doom.”

The verdict of God-of-the-Angel-Armies on all this: “Because you have refused to listen to what I’ve said, I’m stepping in. I’m sending for the armies out of the north headed by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, my servant in this, and I’m setting them on this land and people and even the surrounding countries. I’m devoting the whole works to total destruction—a horror to top all the horrors in history. And I’ll banish every sound of joy—singing, laughter, marriage festivities, genial workmen, candlelit suppers. The whole landscape will be one vast wasteland. These countries will be in subjection to the king of Babylon for seventy years.

“Once the seventy years is up, I’ll punish the king of Babylon and the whole nation of Babylon for their sin. Then they’ll be the wasteland. Everything that I said I’d do to that country, I’ll do—everything that’s written in this book, everything Jeremiah preached against all the godless nations. Many nations and great kings will make slaves of the Babylonians, paying them back for everything they’ve done to others. They won’t get by with anything.” God’s Decree. (The Message)

An ancient rabbi once said that we have two ears and one mouth so that we will listen twice as much as we talk. 

Listening with curious and focused attention is a forgotten skill and a lost art in Western society. 

Slick marketing, political punditry, and over-the-top speech all scream into the culture because there is such a dearth of listening. It seems many people are more concerned to make their opinions known than do any kind of deep listening to another.

No one seems to want to put in the work of discovering another’s true thoughts, feelings, and needs. Instead, we’d rather rant, play armchair quarterback, and make uninformed comments on things we don’t understand.

It’s really downright sad and tragic that we fail to listen to each other. And it is especially terrible when we do not listen to God. 

The Old Testament prophets exist because of a failure to listen. At the time of Jeremiah, not only did the people not hear; they refused to listen. They put their fingers in their ears and babbled “la-la-la-la-la.” So, it was only fitting that the Lord sent the people to Babylon.

This was not merely the inability to listen because they were overworked, too tired, or “hangry.” The problem was much deeper than that. For years, God kept up a steady stream of words, telling the people exactly what was expected. But they didn’t listen, on purpose. Like a parent speaking to an angsty teenager, it all went in one ear and out the other with nothing getting done.

God passionately desired the people to amend their evil ways. But they didn’t want to hear it. 

So, after years, even centuries of unfaithfulness, unrighteousness, and injustice, God’s patience came to its limit. Tragedy happened. The Babylonian Exile became a terrible and harsh reality.

If there is no deep listening to God and God’s Word to us, there will be deep repercussions. 

Listen, my friends: None of us can do the will of God if we don’t know what God wants. It takes listening. And listening takes focused attention. And focused attention requires a posture of humility. And humility requires being emptied of all pride and hubris. 

Apart from genuine listening with the intent to understand and alter actions accordingly, there will be no peace, no love, no grace. The space of inattention quickly fills with lazy ears, emotional heaviness, spiritual sickness, xenophobic suspicion, anxious fear, dark thoughts, angry rants, and a retreat into selfish caring for oneself. 

The beginning of wisdom and human flourishing starts with listening well. Paying attention through deep listening brings humility of heart, purification of pride, and love of God and neighbor.

Truly hearing the words of God leads to self-awareness, cries for God’s mercy, a knowledge of humanity, the study of Holy Scripture, and a familiarity with the Church’s long tradition of sound teaching.

Therefore, silence is vital for everyone. Prayer needs to be more about sitting still in solitude and silence in order to listen and much less about talking at God.

But if we insist on making more noise than a couple of skeletons dancing on a tin roof, we will eventually be those skeletons – without any substance and only good for the grave.

So, read the prophets. Listen to them. Pay attention to their message. And heed their warnings and exhortations. Your ears will be glad you did.

Holy Father and God of all, your speech goes out into all the earth. Your Word is there for us to hear if we will only but listen. 

Lord Jesus, let your words and your teachings penetrate so deeply into my soul that your loving ways come out of me in all I say and do.

Blessed Holy Spirit, help me to so listen to your inner voice that encouragement and forgiveness pours forth from the wellspring of a heart which is baptized in God’s Word. Amen.