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

Can Curses be Reversed?

Many religions talk about curses and generational curses. Even the Bible has a lot to tell on these. I would however like to confine to one man in the Bible and the one God of the Bible in this regard. This man named Zerubbabel captured my attention in the recent past. His name appears in the genealogical records of Jesus given by both Matthew and Luke. Who are the forefathers of this man?

Notorious Predecessors

Zerubbabel’s grandfather Jehoiachin also called Coniah was a wicked king of Judah who was taken into captivity and was imprisoned in Babylon (2 Kings 24:8-17). Jehoiachin’s father was Jehoiakim, the son of good and righteous Josiah, my all time favourite king! But Jehoiakim was wicked and notorious enough that he burnt the scroll containing the word of God (Jeremiah 36:23). The wrath of God went to peak towards this king that he pronounced judgement cutting short the covenant He had made with David (Jeremiah 36:30-31):  Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David...Jehoiakim’s tragic death and details was prophesied about earlier in Jeremiah 22: 18-19.

Crucial Chapter

A clue for generational curse/blessing lies in this important chapter in the Bible in Ezekiel 18. The central truth here is: the soul that sins will die. Curses of the past generation can be broken, provided the individual living in the present generation mends his/her life in the light of the word of God. This crucial teaching of the Bible follows the chapter in which we read about another prophecy regarding Zedekiah, the last king of Judah (son of Josiah, uncle of Jehoiachin, forefather of Zerubbabel)  being deported to Babylon. It is in this context that Ezekiel 18 throws hope that even after all such cursed past events, a progeny in the family can mend his/her present life. That was what Zerubbabel did.

Chain of Curse

Zerubbabel came from a very bad past-history. He lived during the Babylonian exile. He was appointed as governor (Zedekiah was the last king of Judah and after which there were only governors of Judah, appointed by their captors). Here are some highlights of a changed life style of Zerubbabel, unlike his ancestors:

• Based on the command given by King Cyrus (Ezra 1:1-4), the captor king, a big group of people of Judah returned to Jerusalem and started to rebuild the temple that was demolished by King Nebuchadnezzar, years back.  Firstly, Zerubbabel took lead in restoring the altar and daily worship in the temple. (Ezra 3:1-3)
• He was one of those who rebuilt the temple. (Ezra 3:8)
• He protected the purity of the Lord’s temple. (Ezra 4:2-3)
• He obeyed God’s words that came through the prophets of his time, Haggai and Zechariah. (Haggai 1:12-15)
• He ensured the daily needs of Levites who led the worship. (Nehemiah 12:47)

No wonder, Zerubbabel received a great promise from God which has been recorded in Haggai 2:21-23. The chain of curses reversed as blessings and promises from God! 

The Significant Signet Ring

God had used the very same analogy of a signet ring as a matter of curse earlier to Zerubbabel’s grandfather in Jeremiah 22:24: Even if you, Jehoiachin^, son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off.  But later in Haggai 2:23 we read: “‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” What a blessing to Zerubbabel! The finer and fuller fulfilment of this promise was seen in the progeny of Zerubbabel, Jesus!

Blessed Zerubbabel

This is the climax. Zerubbabel’s name appears in both the genealogical accounts of Jesus (Matthew’s believed to be Joseph’s, traced through Solomon, recorded in chapter 1, Luke’s believed to be Mary’s, traced through Nathan, another son of David, recorded in chapter 3). Some scholars say that Zerubabbel’s ancestry also is similar to Jesus. His mother’s lineage comes through Nathan, son of David, and that his father’s comes through Solomon. Zerubbabel was a truly blessed man. A transformed life was all that brought the change in his life.  For all of us today, living on this side of the cross, there are additional promises. Galatians 3:13 can be a tower of strength: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. It is Jesus who helps us to change our bad ways, bad past and to change the curses to a blessing! God Bless!!

Five Wise Women in Christmas Story

The birth narrative of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew starts off with a genealogy where unusually we find the names of five women. Some had a bad reputation. For some it was not a choice. Some were widows. The good common thing is that they were all, wise and discerning.

Tamar – Sin No More

Tamar was the widow of the first son of Judah, Er.  Judah's next son, Onan cheated Tamar and he also died. The deaths were the judgement of God on these two men. The third son, Shelah did not want to marry Tamar. Judah also became a widower by that time. In the meantime, Tamar somehow wanted to beget a child. She wanted the family line of Judah to be passed on! In some tricky incident which followed, Judah unknowingly found himself in an adulterous relationship with Tamar, his own daughter-in-law.  But in an interesting turn of events, Judah came to know that Tamar got pregnant because of him. He also realized that she was more righteous than him because he failed to give his third son to her. But one cannot try to achieve a seemingly worthy goal by disobeying God like Tamar. Anyhow the good news is that she never sinned anymore after that incident (Genesis 38). Jesus stressed it in two incidents that forgiven sinners can sin no more (John 5:1-15, 8:3-11).

Rahab – Faith Through Hearing

Rahab was a prostitute who lived in the city of Jericho.   But she was a wise woman who knew what was happening in the world of her time. She was update with information about the mighty deliverance of the bonded Israelite slaves from the then super power Egypt. She was aware of the miracles and victories this wandering group enjoyed from the almighty God all along their journey. She knew the kings subdued by the Israelites, by names. She could also predict how the rulers of Jericho would melt in fear in front of these feeble, yet powerful Israelites. This discernment stirred Rahab to welcome the Israelite spies with peace (Hebrews 11:31).  The spies told her a way by which she and her family would not perish during the attack. Since she already knew the power of the Yahweh God, she obeyed the spies. Faith comes through hearing.  She and her family were the only survivors of the attack in the city of Jericho.  Rahab married Salmon, a Yahweh worshipper in the Israelite community thereafter (Joshua 2 & 6).

  

Ruth – Faith in Action

It is easy for anyone to interpret three widows living under the same roof as a result of some evil they had done in their past. With no men in the family there was utter hopelessness in this household.  Now one of those widows was Ruth who came from a non-Yahweh background. Her difficult choice to stick to her seemingly hopeless old widowed mother-in-law, Naomi and Naomi’s God brought all the change! A rich man named Boaz, who was a relative of her deceased husband, married Ruth. Hopelessness turned to hope. James 2:14-20 says that faith without action is dead and useless. Ruth showed her faith in action, by clinging to God and caring for her mother-in-law. This seemingly cursed family could live and procreate because of the living faith of Ruth.

  

Bathsheba – Receive Mercy

Bathsheba was an innocent victim of the the powerful king David. In his lustful pursuit, she lost her husband, Urriah and also became a joint sinner with David. She also lost her son born out of adultery.  The counsel of God came to David that he was a sinner. A good thing about this king however was that he accepted that he was a sinner (2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12). It may not be wrong on our part to imagine Bathsheba kneeling with David when he prayed those lines that we find in Psalm 51. A sinful past is cleared with a genuine confession to God. Proverbs 28:13 says that, people who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

Mary – Obedience Leads to Blessing

Mary was about to be divorced from her husband Joseph for he found her to be an unwed mother (Matthew 1:19). Mary had to carry her baby with a bad tag around her just because she obeyed the word of God given to her through the angel.  It is her surrender as a servant to God, that gave her a honourable tag as the mother of incarnate Jesus! (Luke 1:26-38) God spoke to Joseph after which he took good care of Mary and his foster kid Jesus. He safe guarded Mary from foul-mouthed people. Mary received her blessed status because of her obedience.

  

These women carry loaded messages for us today. In a time, when names of women seldom found entry in the genealogical records, Matthew could not resist recording the names of these five women in the birth narrative of Jesus. The underlying truth is that God can use people of all kind to work his wonders. Let us be encouraged that we are one of those precious bunch of people. Blessed Christmas, folks!