Ichabod Moments

The pandemic situation in the last few months made me reflect a lot from the Scriptures. This is one study that spoke to my aching heart. I feel it is relevant for our present situation where we are fighting the epidemic of our times, the C-19 virus.

 Ichabod means “Where is the Glory?” or "Where is God?" This was uttered by Eli, a priest’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, near the time of her delivery. The ark of God had been captured and her  husband and his brother were killed by the Philistines. Hearing this tragic news Eli, her father-in-law died too. She was overcome by her labor pains. As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention.  She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The Glory has departed from Israel”. (1 Samuel 4:19-21)

 Poor baby Ichabod. He was born on a day where there were four deaths in his household.  He lost his dad, Phinehas and his mom, his uncle, Hophni and his granddad, Eli on one single day! His mom was right when she said that God’s glory left Israel because the Ark of God, which truly meant the presence of God was captured by the enemies, the Philistines.

 Reasons for Ichabod

The following verses give some clues: 1 Samuel 2:12-26 and 1 Samuel 3: 11-14, wherein we can see a list of the sins of Hophni and Phinehas: They were

• scoundrels (rascals/villains)
• treated the Lord’s offering with disrespect
• coveted
• gluttoned
• were immoral
• blasphemed (had no respect for the Lord)

 Failing to restrain them was clearly Eli, the priest-dad’s mistake which pointed out by God. What a miserable marker painted on a priest of the day! (1 Samuel 3: 11-14)

 A Parallel Story

However, we find a godly couple named, Hannah and Elkanah, who did not belong to a Levite background but were in the parish of Eli. Hannah is known for pouring her pain in the form of a beautiful prayer (1 Samuel 1). She was a woman of faith. Even before God answered her prayers, the Bible says, she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast (1 Samuel 1:18). She kept her vow by dedicating little Samuel as an offering in the temple. She and her husband were role models in visiting the temple together year to year and offering sacrifices. (1 Samuel 2:19)

Results of Ichabod (1 Samuel 4 -6)

• When a priest’s family was in a mess, the loss was not only to them, but to the whole nation.  The Israelites were defeated by Philistines.
• The saddest of all was the loss of the Ark (the presence of God) to the enemies.
• Many died of a disease that spread to the Philistine cities of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. They had undermined the power of Yahweh.
• Even in the Israelite territory 70 people in Beth Shemesh died because they looked into the ark of the LORD. 

What was the Solution? 

A change of situation happened through Samuel who turned to be a revivalist of the nation of Israel. All the people of Israel turned back to the LORD with all their hearts. The LORD’s presence was manifested supernaturally with loud thunders against the Philistines which threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. God became their ever-present help which was when Samuel took a stone and set it, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” 1 Samuel 7: 2- 12

 Reasons for Ebenezer

•  A godly family raising a godly Samuel
• A true repentance following the Chronicler’s model

When … I send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:13,14)

It may look like Ichabod moments now. However one thing that is assured in the pandemic season is the presence of God to all who love him. Psalm 23 assures his presence. The Great Commission assures his presence (Matthew 28:20). He is the same yesterday, today and forever. The change should begin in me. It would be a blessing to all if we could take a stock of our lives in the light of this Bible study and seek His face. Our land will be healed for sure. 

We can travel from our seemingly Ichabod moments and reach our Ebenezer milestone soon. Why not? 

 

 

 

 

18 ஆகஸ்ட்

Add caption

ஆபத்துக்காலத்தில் என்னை நோக்கிக் கூப்பிடு; நான் உன்னை விடுவிப்பேன், நீ என்னை மகிமைப்படுத்துவாய். (சங்கீதம் 50:15)

என்னுடைய வீட்டில் வாலிப பருவத்தில் கண்ணாடியில் என்னைப் பார்க்கும் போதெல்லாம் அருகில் இந்த வசனம் சுவற்றில் தொங்கிக்கொண்டிருந்ததால் அதை என் மனம் உள் வாங்கிக்கொள்ளும். இந்த வசனத்தின் பயன்பாட்டை ஆகஸ்ட் 18, 1992 அன்று தத்ரூபமாக அனுபவித்தேன்.

பொறியியல் கல்லூரி முடித்தவுடன் என்னுடைய முதல் பணி சேலத்தில் ஆரம்பமானது. அன்று மாலை பணி முடிந்தவுடன் சேலத்திலிருந்து மேட்டூருக்கு பயணமானேன். இது தினசரி செய்யும் பயணமாகும். ஆனால் அன்றையத் தினம் அது ஒரு மறக்க முடியாத பயணமாகி விட்டது.

வெகு விரைவாக பேருந்தை ஓட்டிச் சென்ற ஓட்டுனர் எதிரே சடாரென்று ஒரு பாட்டி குறுக்கில் வந்ததால் தடுமாற அங்கே சைக்கிளில் சென்ற இருவர் மீது வண்டி பாய மீண்டும் தடுமாறி பாட்டியை விழத் தள்ள, உள்ளிருந்த எனக்கு பெரிய விபத்து என்று மாத்திரம் புலப்பட்டதே தவிர, அடுத்து தொடரும் பேராபத்தை சற்றும் அறியவில்லை.

பேருந்து ஒரு சிறிய பாலம் போன்ற ஒரு மேட்டில் வேகமாக மோத டீசல் டேங்க் உடைந்து பற்றாக்குறைக்கு பேருந்தில் அந்த நாட்களில் அந்த பகுதியில் வாழ்ந்த சந்தனக்கடத்தல் வீரப்பனுக்கென்று எரிபொருள்கள் இருந்திருக்க அனைத்தும் சேர்ந்து ஒரு வினாடியில் கூரை உயர நெருப்பை நான் காண முடிந்தது.

டீசல் டேங்கிற்கு மேலிருந்த இருக்கைகளிலிருந்து ஒவ்வொருவராக இருந்த வண்ணம் அலறிக் கணப்பொழுதில் கருகியதை கண்ட நான் அதற்கு சற்றே அருகில் வீழ்ந்திருந்தாலும் உயிர் தப்ப பிரயாசம் எடுத்தும் ஒன்றும் பயன் அளிக்காததால், ‘இயேசுவே காப்பாற்றும், இயேசுவே காப்பாற்றும்’ என்று கதறினேன். மரண ஓலத்தில் இந்த சத்தமும் எட்ட வேண்டியவருக்கு எட்டியதா?

அழகு வீண், படிப்பு வீண் என்ற எண்ணங்கள் பளிச்சிட, இயேசுவிற்காக ஒன்றும் அதிகம் செய்யவில்லையே என்ற ஏக்கமும் வர அந்த சமயத்தில் தானே அற்புதம் நடந்தது. என்னையும் அறியாமல் ஜன்னல் ஒன்றிற்குத் தூக்கி எறியப்பட்டேன். கண்ணாடியால் பாதி அடைக்கப்பட்ட அந்த ஜன்னலில் இரண்டு குறுக்கு சட்டங்கள் இருக்க என் தலை மாத்திரமே மாட்டியது. என் முழு உடலும் வெளியே வர முடியாது என்று என் மனம் சொல்ல அடுத்த வினாடி பேருந்திற்கு வெளியே ஒரு பாதுகாப்பான இடத்தில் ஒரு பொம்மை போல மென்மையாக நின்றேன்.

அது ஒரு அற்புதம் என்று உணர வெகு நேரம் எடுக்கவில்லை. “உன் வழிகளிலெல்லாம் உன்னைக் காக்கும்படி, உனக்காகத் தம்முடைய தூதர்களுக்குக் கட்டளையிடுவார். உன் பாதம் கல்லில் இடறாதபடிக்கு அவர்கள் உன்னைத் தங்கள் கைகளில் ஏந்திக்கொண்டுபோவார்கள்” (சங்கீதம் 91: 11, 12) என்னும் வசனங்களிற்கிணங்க தூதர்கள் தான் என்னைத் தூக்கி சுமந்திருக்க வேண்டும்.

மரித்தவர்களின் எண்ணிக்கையும், யார் யார் மரித்தார்கள் என்பதும் தெரிய வந்த போது எனக்குள் பல எண்ணங்கள் வந்தன. கள்ளங்கபடற்ற குழந்தைகள் மரித்திருந்தனர். என் கிறித்தவத் தோழி தன் குடும்பத்ததோடு கருகி விட்டாள். ‘கிரேஸ்’ என்ற என் பெயருக்கேற்றாற் போல தகுதியற்ற எனக்குக் கர்த்தர் கிருபை பாராட்டி உள்ளார் என்றும், அவர் தந்த இந்த பிச்சையான வாழ்வை அவருக்காக சிறப்பாக வாழ வேண்டும் என்றும் முடிவும் செய்தேன்.

ஒரு இறைபணியாளரைத் திருமணம் செய்து குடும்பமாக, பேராபத்திலிருந்து என்னைக் காத்த அந்த ஆண்டவருக்குப் பணி செய்வதும் எனக்குக் கிடைத்த மிகப் பெரிய பேறாகக் கருதுகிறேன். ஆண்டவருக்கே மகிமை உண்டாவதாக.

The Plague of Emerods

I am pained about what is happening in the global scenario with regard to COVID-19. During my recent meditation I found this story in the Bible about a plague that is relevant in some ways to us today.

The Context (1 Samuel 1 & 2)
In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit (Judges 21:25). The priest in Shiloh was Eli. The sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas were notorious in desecrating the priestly office. They were behaving wickedly by taking for themselves all the prime cuts, the fat of meat from sacrifices. Fat as per law belongs to God during any sacrifice. (Leviticus 3:17) They also committed adultery with the women who served at the sanctuary entrance. (1 Samuel 2:18-36) I guess Hannah dedicated her child to be a priest of a different kind, unlike Eli’s sons, after having heard of all their filthy stories. (1 Samuel 1:11) However Eli remained a passive parent to the end.

The Judgement to the Priestly Office (1 Samuel 4)
God punished Eli’s family for their gross sins against him and the people. Both Hophni and Phinehas died in a war with the Philistines. The Ark of God was captured by the enemies. Hearing this Eli also died on the same day. On the other hand God raised little Samuel as the prophet for the nation of Israel!

The Judgement by the Plague of Emerods (1 Samuel 5, KJV)
The Philistines who captured the Ark of God thought that they can play with the Ark, which literally meant the Presence of God. They placed the Ark in their temple in Ashdod, to only find their deity falling down before the Ark the next day. God also afflicted the panicked people with emerods, a plague that caused many to die. Early Christian scholar Jerome translated it as "swellings of the secret parts".

Frightened the Philistines moved the Ark to Gath. Alas, the young and old of this place were afflicted with the plague too. We do not know whether that was contagious, but for sure it was by the hand of God! Now the Philistines moved the Ark to Ekron. The people of Ekron were frightened to the core. They sent word ahead saying not to bring the Ark to their city rather send it to the Israelites back! However death took a toll in this city. God’s hand was very heavy on it. Those who did not die were afflicted with emerods, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

The Judgement to the Israelites (1 Samuel 6, KJV)
One more smiting happened! When the Ark returned to the Israelite territory after being in the Philistine territory for seven months we see the people of Beth Shemesh, who with no reverence to what had happened were punished with death,50070 of them, who looked into the Ark of the Lord. King James Version has this number, unlike other versions, it is 70, but has been described as a great slaughter. Their response takes us to the solution: Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? (1 Samuel 6:20)

The Solution (1 Samuel 6 & 7)
The solution had to evolve both from the sinful Israel, the chosen people of God who went astray, specially the priestly office that lost its integrity and also from the Philistines who tried to play with the God of Israel. While the Philistines realized their fault and were willing to pay a penalty, there was repentance from the people of Israel too. The Levites offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord. The five rulers of the Philistines witnessed the Israelites' repentance scenario.

In chapter 7 we see a greater revival happening under the leadership of prophet Samuel. People of Israel returned to God with all their hearts. Samuel interceded for Israel. God heard him. Peace was restored in the nation.

Today we need to realize where all we went wrong as a community these days with the outbreak of the global epidemic, the COVID -19. The people of God should repent first. For it is time for judgement to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17) Let the world see how we repent for our sins of bad repute, financial misappropriations, sexual exploitations, sins at the priestly, bishopric levels. I have named a few. Let the change begin in me. Lord, we want you to heal us, our world. Amen.

Men I Love

I love the characters of several men in the Bible. In my recent preaching assignments I found one interesting commonality of three such men-personalities in the Bible. They are Job, Moses and Jesus (the God who came in human form). What do they have in common?

Job
There may be several traditional learnings from Job. But I am attracted to the mention of his children in the last chapter. When Job got his blessings restored God gave him seven sons and three daughters. I love the way the daughters are named here. It is very uncommon to see the sons not named here. The lesson for me however is in V.15 where we find Job giving equal inheritance for both his sons and daughters Jemima, Keziah and Karen. I still wonder how a man who lived in Pre-Mosaic times (when the law was not yet given) could respect women, here his daughters!

Moses
The next hero I adore is Moses. Look at the story where he met his wife in Midian in Exodus 216-19: Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and began to draw water and fill the troughs in order to water their father’s flock. When some shepherds came and drove them away, Moses came up and defended them and then watered their flock. So when they came home to their father Reuel, he asked, “Why have you come home so early today?” They said, “An Egyptian man rescued us from the shepherds, and he actually drew water for us and watered the flock!” We see Moses as a defender, provider, rescuer of women in a difficult situation. No wonder, the girls’ father found it easy to give Zipporah, one of his seven girls to Moses as his wife.

When the issue of the five daughters of Zelophehad came up in the exodus journey with regard to inheritance rights for girls we see Moses as a person who did not drive them away, but it is said: Moses brought their case before the Lord (Numbers 27:5). The God of justice granted the girls’ request. While I appreciate the five girls Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah for their fight for justice, Moses needs an applause for taking their case to God. Moses’ respect for women is mind-blowing.

Jesus
Jesus is the champion of women’s rights, the perfect model for us to follow. From the virgin birth narrative of Mary till the mission mandate of Magdalene Mary, the gospels record various instances of how Jesus respected women. He undid all the curses that were laid upon women and redefined the laws regarding adultery, divorce and other social stigmas. There is much to write about Jesus. I will take that up in another blog-article in the future. This thing is true: Jesus respected women.

On this International Men’s Day I commend men who already reflect this particular Godly character of respecting women like these great personalities in the Bible. Wishing my men-friends all the best!

Dewy Blessings

Dew is an important source of moisture in the air. It surrounds the plant, the leaves for approximately two to three hours past sunrise. The 1816 Encyclopaedia Britannica says that dew is a fluid of the purest and most translucid nature. It can remove all spots and stains and impart to the skin the bloom and freshness of virgin beauty. It extends human life. Have you ever thought of a sustaining blessing that carries us every day? It is the dewy blessing given to his children in the Bible.  

"Dew" appears almost 35 times in the Bible, often rendered as "dew from heaven." It is primarily seen as a blessing from God. One of the Bible's best-known blessings is in Genesis 27:28 when Isaac blesses Jacob: May God give you heaven's dew and earth's richness-- an abundance of grain and new wine. About Joseph, Jacob said: "May the LORD bless his land with the precious dew from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below."(Deut. 33:13) The dewy blessing transcended to generations as seen here from Isaac to Jacob and then to Joseph.

I love this particular blessing to Israel that includes us the spiritual Israelite today. God said: I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. (Hosea 14:5,6) God provides moisture as rain, but sometimes rain can be destructive if it is too heavy. We see that from the days of Noah till day. But dew just shows up, gently appearing each morning to provide life-sustaining moisture to crops. Dew is a gentle and a daily blessing! It is refreshing, energizing, life-sustaining.

Dew Can Be Withdrawn And Withheld

Withdrawal of dew is regarded as a curse from God ( 2 Samuel 1:21 ; 1 Kings 17:1 ). God said: You expected much, but behold, it amounted to little. And what you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the LORD of Hosts. Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, on account of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth has withheld its crops. (Haggai 1:9-10) This is a word of warning to do what is expected of us by God in the holy Scriptures. We need to turn to God in repentance. But if God withholds a blessing, he can always release it back!

God’s Words Are Like Dew

Deuteronomy 32:2 says: Let my (God’s) teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. Let us consume this dew, the word of God as much as possible and do as it says. God’s word will sustain us, refresh us and guide us through. Let the beauty and dewy blessings from God above be seen in us and attract others to the Giver of all blessings.

Dewy Personalities

There are dewy personalities around. They are our daily blessings from God, the people who provide for us and help us like the farmers, the laborers, the drivers and the resourceful people like our parents, pastors and teachers. Think about that and thank God for these dewy people every day! God is also encouraging us to be a "dew" for those around us, to refresh them. Can we be relied upon by our family and the society around as a dewy personality?

More Dewy Blessings

There are many dewy blessings in the Bible. I am quoting a couple of them and ending with the Jewish prayer for dewy blessings:

…your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew. (Psalm 110:3)

It (God’s people living together in unity) is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. (Psalm 133:3)

The Jewish Prayer / Blessing for Dew

May dew fall upon the blessed land.
Fill us with heaven’s finest blessings.
May a light come out of the darkness to draw Israel
to you as a root finds water from dew.
May you bless our food with dew.
May we enjoy plenty with nothing lacking.
Grant the wish of the people – that followed you
through the desert like sheep – with dew.
You are Adonai our God,
who causes the wind to blow and the dew to fall,
For blessing and not for curse.
Amen.

Argula: A Woman, A Reformer, A Writer

As we celebrate Reformation in this week, we should be also aware that there were many women involved in the process of reforming churches. Valerie Abraham lists five among the many remarkable women of the Reformation: Marguerite de Navarre (1492-1549) – The Diplomat, Marie Dentiere (1495-1561) – The Lightning Rod, Argula Von Grumbach (1492-1554) – The Debater, Olympia Morata (1526-1555) – The Scholar, Jeanne d’Albert (1528-1572) – The Politician. Here I would highlight on Argula Von Grumbach, a mighty woman of God, who was threatened to have her two fingers amputated to stop her from writing. Writing has always influenced people living in all centuries and it a threatening tool. The pen is mightier than a sword! Argula became the first protestant woman writer and she used it as a reforming tool.

Argula Von Grumbach was born in 1492 in Bavaria in the Reformation Era which saw the “Rediscovery of Scripture” through Sola Scripture (Scripture Alone). Despite the warning from anti-reformers, her parents encouraged her to read and study the Bible. In 1517, in the year in which Luther hammered his ninety-five thesis on the church door in Wittenburg, Argula married Friedrich with whom she had four children. Friedrich died in 1530. But no situation could deter Argula in her stint with Reformation leaders. She encouraged the nobility of her native Bavaria to take on the ideas of the Reformers. She also travelled extensively for this cause. In doing so Argula broke a number of taboos. She assumed a public role, which was unheard of for a woman of her time.

She was a theological writer and exegete of Scripture. She promoted the cause of Reformation through writing of pamphlets. She read Scripture for aspects of both ecclesial and social lives.  She argued strongly for the independence of the church from secular authority when it came to spiritual matters such as the understanding of the Scripture. She understood herself as called and led by the Spirit of God to read and understand the Scriptures. She was a prophetess in her calling!

Argula had the audacity to address the university leaders of the day. Her wisdom, her logic and her use of Scriptures was stunning. She boldly spoke up for the supremacy of Scriptures and priesthood of all believers including women. Reformer Balthasar said about her: Argula, a pious woman knows the divine Word better than clergy, like Deborah and Huldah in the Old Testament, and the daughters of Philip in the New Testament.

I hope and believe that the present state of church worldwide will be reformed when women like Argula and men like Luther rise and stand for the Scriptures, for its rightful interpretation, and use their writings to impact the world that is so small these days using technology and by all modern means!

Source: Women in Church and Society, Compiled by Zubeno Kithan

You Are Special!

Are you hurt? Here is good news! In my recent meditation of the Scripture, I was greatly blessed reading a passage in Luke 8:40-56.

I loved Jesus calling a woman as his ‘daughter’, which I find as the one and only occasion in the gospel account. All the synoptic writers have given space to this incident which should be a great encouragement to a child of God feeling discouraged or disheartened. Similarly, in only one occasion we see Jesus mentioning a man as ’son’ which again is recorded by all the synoptic gospel writers. Both of them were sick people, the woman was haemorrhaging and the man, a paralytic. However, as a woman I am attracted to the narrative of the bleeding woman closer to my heart.

Not a Contamination!

Added to her physical issues like anaemia and exhaustion, this woman would have faced terrible spiritual and social ostracism. Bleeding made her unclean (Lev 15:19–27) and anyone who touched her or anything she had been in contact with would be considered unclean too and would have to perform certain rites to cleanse themselves. She had to live a lonely life without her family and friends. She was in debt after depleting all her resources paying to doctors. Knowing that Jesus is in town this desperate woman mustered her courage and managed to touch the cloak of Jesus in the crowd. What a contamination as per law! But it was not so for Jesus.

What an Extravagance!

Interestingly this story is sandwiched between the part where Jairus, a synagogue ruler pleaded with Jesus to heal his dying daughter and later, when the little girl died. Let us look at Jairus now.  As leader of the synagogue he was well respected. He could go up to Jesus and ensure he got his request heard by falling at his feet, touching him and begging him to heal his daughter. In contrast, this nameless woman could only approach Jesus stealthily from behind and touch the back of his clothes. Jairus’ daughter had a father to fight her corner; this poor woman had none. How moving, then, are Christ’s words to her calling her ‘Daughter’. Whereas, Jairus got his daughter resurrected later, Jesus gained a daughter earlier that day. He applauds her as a woman of faith and declared peace and healing to her. What an extravagant outpouring of grace and mercy!

What a Blessing!

Do you ever feel at a disadvantage? Does it seem as if others have more going for them: better education, wealthier backgrounds, better health, more confidence and more family and friends to support them? Are you letting such things hold you back or cause you to be jealous of others? What matters is not your status before people but your status before God. Do you need to see yourself afresh, through God’s eyes, as his much-loved child?

Who are the equivalents of the woman with a haemorrhage today? Who are the vulnerable and rejected in our society who have no one to stand up for them? Let us identify with them. Let us include them and extend our family boundary. After all we are all the children of our Lord Jesus. He calls us as “My son” and “My daughter”. What a blessing!

Inspired by:

Caroline Fletcher in WordLive, 20 June, 2019