Who am I like? A Dove or an Eagle?

A sudden serious sickness, an unexpected turn in career, betrayals, tragic death of dear ones. There are many ways people handle such painful realities in life. Job, in the Bible asks us to allow the animals to teach us, or the birds of the air to tell us (Job 12:7) What does a “Dove” and an “Eagle” have to tell us for a crisis situation? 

Like a Dove? (Psalm 55)

This Psalm is a typical lamenting song of King David. Absalom, his son became a furious enemy of David due to various circumstances.  In his attempt to capture the throne, the reigning monarch David had to walk away from his palace barefoot into the wilderness! (2 Samuel 15:30) Not only that there were so many other reasons behind the lamenting situation of David. His companion and his close friend Ahithophel bullied and mocked at him. Thoughts of those long hours of leisure they walked arm in arm to the house of God troubled David to the core. David has a similar mention of Ahithopel in Psalm 41:9. “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, ​he who shared my bread, ​has lifted up his heel against me.” His low mood in Psalm 55 was also due to the voices of the enemies, the stares of the wicked, their plans to bring suffering to him, and the anger and the vengeance spirit surrounding him! We also find David in turn speaking words of revenge against his opponents.

When messengers brought the news about Ahithopel’s conspiracy to kill him, David’s heart was in anguish. Running to a refuge, he felt the terrors of death assail him, fear and trembling surrounding him, horror overwhelming him. Probably in such a situation, he cried, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm” (v.6-7)   Perhaps he did not realize the fact that there was no place in this earth not even the wilderness, where there is “no sorrow.’” 

But the good thing about David was that he concluded his lament in a right note. He said, “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” (Psalm 55:22)  David did cast his cares on the Lord. The Lord sustained him and brought him back to his royal throne. His hypocrite friend Ahithophel committed suicide! The son who vehemently rose against David also had a gruesome end!

When adversity hits hard on us, we need not run away from that situation like a “dove.” Some try to escape by attempting suicide (s), which is not the right solution. The Bible exhorts us to cast our cares to the Lord! Jesus said:"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  (Matthew 11:28) It is Jesus who gives rest to our weary souls not any place of escape or hide-out on the earth!

Like an Eagle (Isaiah 40)

The history of Israel in the Bible would tell us how often her people went astray from worshipping Yahweh and the many times they were defeated by enemies in wars! One nearly final blow to these people was when they were subdued by the Babylonians! Every single Israelite soul complained that their ways were hidden from the LORD and their cause was disregarded by their God (Isaiah 40:27). The bonded Israelites during their captivity in Babylon became weak, tired and weary in their body and souls. It was then God responded through his prophet Isaiah to the weary people, “…Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope 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 be faint.”(Isaiah 40:28-31)

There were people who hoped in the Lord during the difficult times of their exile in Babylon. To name a few other than the prophets of the day were Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They were found to be healthier, better nourished, wise by eating a mere vegetarian food compared to the young men who ate the royal food at the palace of the king of Babylon! They walked through the lions’ den and the fiery furnace unhurt. They became rulers and governors in their captive land! They soared on wings like the eagles in their enemy territory!

An eagle’s strength is renewed only after her painful experience of moulting! In this process, it goes to a solitary place and loses or pulls out all its feathers. During this time, the eagle looks ugly, exposed, and vulnerable. But soon new feathers grow back strong and shiny and renews an old eagle like a young eagle. Sin brings pain in our lives. But nothing is said to be hopeless in this world. Jesus gives hope even in such a situation for there is hope in Him! David confessed his sin (Psalm 51). Daniel's confession of sins for him and his people is found in Daniel 9. God forgave them. So, when we put our hope in him, he is gracious enough to forgive us too and renew our strength like an eagle with a youthful vigour. (Psalm 103: 3-5)

In adverse situations in life, do you flee and hide like a “Dove” or soar like an “Eagle?” The choice is yours!

A Mere Prayer can be a Sure Failure

 When I first read the prayer of Balaam,”Let me die the death of a righteous” (Numbers 23:10) it sounded divine in my ears. I wanted to say this prayer every day of my life! I vouch that all who believes in life after death would like to do this wonderful prayer!

Balaam was a diviner living in Pethor, a city in Mesopotamia (Deuteronomy 23:4). He possessed knowledge of Yahweh, the true God. He was the only Old Testament prophet who predicted the first and second coming of Jesus Christ (Numbers 24:14-19). He said "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of the sons of Sheth” (Numbers 24:17). This prophecy about the Messiah, as a king would have even led the wise men to come and see Jesus! He spoke great truths about God such as the one we find in Numbers 23:19, where he said, “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” and in Numbers 23:23 he has also said, “There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'See what God has done!'”

 Balaam prayed, prophesied, and did ministry of the Word-yet he was not a true worshipper of Yahweh. For the sake of money and status offered by the Moabite king he made the Israelites to sin (Numbers 22:7, 17). His wish to die the death of a righteous did not happen.  He died as one who practiced divination (Joshua 13:22).

The New Testament affirms in many places the unrighteous nature of Balaam. Peter describes him as one who loved the wages of wickedness and as a person who led the Israelites to wander away from God (2 Peter 2:15). Jude describes Balaam as a false teacher(Jude 1:11). In Revelation 2:14, Jesus himself says to the Pergamum church that he hates the teaching of Balaam. The teaching of Balaam in the words of Jesus was that he enticed the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.

Balaam will join the company of prophets over the generations until today who prophesy in the name of Jesus, drive out demons, and perform miracles, yet live an unrighteous life! All that can be expected of such prophets would be, Jesus calling them as evil doers and giving them a plain talk that he never knew them (Matthew 7:22-23). The life of Balaam is an indicator of people who pray wonderfully, yet could be the ones who miserably fail on the judgment day! Such of these people love to pray and to do ministry in the name of God, but fail to live a righteous life.

In contrast to Balaam, Abel mentioned in the scriptures lived a righteous life. He has been acknowledged as righteous by Jesus himself (Matthew 23:35). Other New Testament writers like the anonymous author of Hebrews and Apostle John too assure Abel’s offering as a righteous deed. Abel still speaks long time after his gruesome death (his death was the first in the history of the world) because his brief life on earth was coloured with righteousness! (Hebrews 11:4, 1 John 3:12). Abel, to die righteous, lived righteous.

A tax-collector has been acclaimed by Jesus as a righteous person too after Jesus heard his one-line prayer. The Pharisee all through his prayer looked down upon the tax collector. But the latter looked down on his own self and prayed this simple prayer: 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' He realized his unworthiness and pleaded mercy to Jesus! Jesus was merciful in deed to forgive the tax collector and to declare him justified (Luke 18:9-14).

The Bible says that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24).

I would still like to pray the “Balaam” prayer,”Let me die the death of a righteous”. But, I would do this only after I do the tax collector’s prayer, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' I will watch out for my life henceforth to live a righteous life like Abel with the grace of God. Because to die righteous, I also need to live righteous! Only then my prayer would be powerful and effective! (James 5:16) Otherwise my mere prayer would be a sure failure! 

"Fragrant" or "Foul?"

Lessons from the Life of Dinah
In a time when parents are perplexed as to how to raise their boys and girls, here is a story of a girl child, whose life throws light as to how Christian culture counters the surrounding ones. The Bible tells us about Dinah in Genesis 34. She was a young girl who went for sight-seeing "women" in a foreign city called Shechem on a lonesome trip. A city cannot be with a "women" population only. Shechem was also a culturally and religiously foreign place to this girl, who belonged to a Yahweh worshiping family. She was the great-grand daughter of Abraham, a man of supreme obedience to God. As a reward to the obedient act of Abraham, his descendants were blessed of God which has been recorded in Genesis 12:1-3. It says that the Abrahamic generation would be a blessing to all peoples on earth and also the people who bless them would be blessed.

The Abrahamic descendants were nomadic. Their moving around was also the plan of God! He wanted this nomadic group to be “Yahweh-carriers.” They were supposed to bless people whom they came in contact with, with the fragrance of their one God-Yahweh. Dinah brought up in such a Yahweh-centered background chose to go around a city of non-Yahweh culture. A young man, Shechem of that city saw her and violated her. Dinah never expected that because she thought that she could take care of herself!

Choices and Struggles
How often we have thought that we can take care of ourselves and have miserably failed! We need to know that foolish choices in life can lead to gigantic spiritual struggles. For sure, we cannot take care of ourselves in our acquaintance with a Yahweh-minus individual or a community! The Scripture rightly admonishes us in this regard: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ( 2 Cor 6:14) To choose right, we need wisdom and discernment in us which can be given to us by God only. For God says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8).

After violating Dinah, the young man opted to marry her! It would have sounded fair to Dinah’s ears. But poor Dinah! Genesis 34:23 says that Shechem had a malicious intention for the marriage proposal. He thought that through this marriage, he could grab the livestock and all of the property of Dinah’s father, Jacob for him and his family!

Dinah’s brothers got wild with the way their sister was violated by Shechem. In turn they devised a hidden plan which also was not right! They agreed to the marriage contract with a condition that the male members of the city had to undergo circumcision. This they said was as an identification rite for the family of Shechem to identify with the Yahweh worshipers. When the men of Shechem did that, the brothers of Dinah went ahead with their plan. When the men were all still in pain incurred from their circumcision rite, the brothers of Leah massacred all of them. Violence and abuse caused to a woman and malicious intentions led Shechem and his family to be wiped off!

Behaviours and Attitudes
Have I been abusive to women? Have I had violent behaviours and evil intentions in my life? We need to be non-violent in our behaviours and honest in our contacts and contracts. For this we need an attitudinal change. “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.’ (Ephesians 4:22-24). Only Jesus can make us truly righteous and just, in places where we would otherwise need to be violent! He helps men not to abuse women.

Fragrance or Foul
Dinah had to lead the rest of her life as a victim of lust and violence. Looking at Dinah and the stench of blood-shed in the city, Jacob, father of Dinah lamented to his children: “You have brought trouble on me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.” (Genesis 34:30) A family which ought to have blessed others and be a fragrance became a stench to the people!

How can we lead a life of fragrance? The Bible gives some hints here: Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:2). But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through usspreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).

I take this opportunity to warn our young generation through the life of Dinah. Following the Biblical norms helps a young person to be fragrant. The psalmist says, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.” (Psalm 119:9) Christian parents and communities also need to live a life of love and have to spread the knowledge of Christ to children and others. This way we smell fragrant to people and to God. As a spiritual descendant of Abraham and as a recipient of the Abrahamic blessing, do we smell fragrant? “May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace” (Psalm 144:12) be our prayer for children in our families and communities.

Is there a “Jezebel” in me?

The story of Jezebel is found in the Bible in the book of I Kings. Here are some insights from her life which I found as lessons of warning:

Firstly, Jezebel was DOMINANT in plotting evil

There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife (1 Kings 21:25). She promoted Baal worship (1 Kings 18:19) and practiced spiritual harlotry and witchcraft ( 2Kings 9:22). She actively sought to exterminate the prophets of God (1Kings 18:4, 1Kings 18:13) while supporting 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah at her royal table (1Kings 18:19). 

She was the one who plotted the death of Naboth, a righteous man. She coveted the vineyard of a simple citizen in her kingdom. To get that vineyard, she plotted a murder scheme against Naboth. For this to happen, she wrote letters in her husband, King Ahab’s name (1 Kings 21). Jezebel resembles some more women in the Bible, like Zeresh, wife of Haman, Delilah, wife of Samson, and the unnamed wife of Job.

Dominance in any relationship is bad. Plotting evil in a dominant manner is worse. Being both was one worst behavior found in Jezebel. The Bible is against both qualities. “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21) is what the Bible teaches about relating to each other. The Bible also exhorts us not to get tired of doing good (2 Thessalonians 3:13). But Jezebel tirelessly did evil in a dominant style.

 Secondly, Jezebel was DEAF to God’s dealings

She had opportunities to witness Yahweh’s power in her life (1 kings 18:16-46). She witnessed Baal as a powerless God to give rain during drought! At Mount Carmel, she found that the prophets of Baal were unable to call down fire to their altar! Jezebel also saw that Elijah, the prophet of God could bring fire  and rain through a simple prayer! Yet she remained reckless to God’s dealings in her life. The Bible warns us that if we remain stiff-necked after many rebukes, we will suddenly be destroyed without any remedy. (Proverbs 29:1)

  

Thirdly, Jezebel became a DEMONSTRATION of the sowing principle

Galatians 6:7-8 says: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. As per the prophecy of God through his servant Elijah, not only Jezebel, but her generation reaped evil. All these death-scenes were gory and ghastly: of King Ahab (1 Kings 22:37-38), of wicked Jezebel (2 Kings 9:30-37), of Joram, her son (2 Kings 9:25-26), of all of her family (2 Kings 10:1-17),  of Athaliah, her daughter (2 Kings 11:15-16).

A QUESTION: Is there a “Jezebel-nature” in us that need to be confessed to God and renounced thereafter?

"No one who conceals transgressions will prosper, but one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." (Proverbs 28:13)