THE LORD SPOKE (February 03)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Exodus 29-30

Four times in Exodus 30 we’re told that God clearly gave instructions to Moses. From the time of His conversation with Moses when He promised, “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Ex. 4:12) this phrase has been recurring with frequency. The formulaic phrase “then the Lord said to Moses” occurs 48 times throughout the book with many other references to “the Lord replied”, “the Lord spoke”, etc.

“If the Lord spoke to me like that, I’d listen too.” you might say. In fact, He has! And much more. Every page of Scripture contains God’s words to you. Are you listening? Are you doing anything about it?

Lord, speak to me that I may speak
In living echoes of Thy tone;
As Thou has sought, so let me seek
Thine erring children lost and lone.

O lead me, Lord, that I may lead
The wandering and the wavering feet;
O feed me, Lord, that I may feed
Thy hungering ones with manna sweet.

O strengthen me, that while I stand
Firm on the rock, and strong in Thee,
I may stretch out a loving hand
To wrestlers with the troubled sea.

O teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious things Thou dost impart;
And wing my words, that they may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart.

O give Thine own sweet rest to me,
That I may speak with soothing power
A word in season, as from Thee,
To weary ones in needful hour.

O fill me with Thy fullness, Lord,
Until my very heart overflow
In kindling thought and glowing word,
Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.

O use me, Lord, use even me,
Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where,
Until Thy blessèd face I see,
Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.

- Frances Ridley Havergal


New Testament: Mark 6

Josephus fills in one historical detail. The beheading of John the Baptist took place at Machaerus. Another of the sumptuous palaces of Herod the Great, it was located near the NE corner of the Dead Sea. Set back a short distance from the sea but situated on a prominent, defensible knoll, it offered a magnificent view and would have been the ideal setting for a birthday bash for all the “high officials and military commanders and leading men of Galilee” (6:21).

But this wasn’t Herod the Great anymore. He’d been gone for over thirty years already. After his death the Romans had divided his kingdom into four parts so no one person would ever have that much power again. One of the “tetrarchs” they established was his son Herod Antipas, giving him the regions of Galilee and Perea. That’s how he happened to convene this banquet at Machaerus. Machaerus is in Perea.

Though Mark calls him “king” (6:14), he didn’t officially receive the same title as his father. All four successors had been demoted to “tetrarch” but the Galileans commonly referred to Antipas as their king because he was so much like his father and ruled for such a long time - from 4 BC to AD 39. Rome let it go by as long as it was to her benefit and Antipas knew where his bread was buttered.

Salome’s dance probably wasn’t a waltz. We learn her name from Josephus, along with a few other sordid details. Later on she married her granduncle Philip (son of Herod the Great and Cleopatra) who ruled in the northern territories and built up Caesarea Philippi. She was just following her mother’s example. Herodias, a granddaughter of Herod the Great, had been married to her uncle Philip (son of Herod the Great and Mariamne) who lived in Rome. During a visit to her home, Antipas (son of Herod the Great and Malthace) had seduced her and taken her off to his kingdom.

Confused? Any wonder that God says He hated divorce? Any wonder that Jesus called Antipas “that fox” (Lk. 13:32). Any wonder that John the Baptist spoke out against Herodias’ ugly sin? It’s also no wonder that Herodias “nursed a grudge” (6:19) but it is a wonder that Antipas caved in so easily if he really knew John “to be a righteous and holy man” and “liked to listen to him” (6:20).

Application? This is going to sound way off the wall but here it is: stop watching all that TV junk. Most of what you see there is just some variation on the house of Herod. The scriptwriters must have Josephus’ books permanently checked out. It’s mostly wickedness (TV is) and has no place in the heart of a believer. Even the good stuff (and there is some) is usually pretty inane. You may not end up beheading someone but you may do even worse. TV will make you lose your first love for the Lord.