THE LORD SPOKE (April 06)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Judges 1-2

Cycles. Not the kind you ride but the kind that drive you. They can be vicious. This book of Judges tells the story of Israel’s terrible struggle with seven ugly cycles of sin over a period of some 300 years. Repeatedly (see 2:11f; 3:7f; 3:12f; 4:1f; 6:1f; 10:6f; and 13:1f), they fell into a deep sin and depression. Out of the depths of their own suffering and despair they would call out to God for His help. Their supplication would bring salvation in the form of a deliverer or a judge who would throw off the oppressor and restore some measure of liberty for a time. But then they would become lax or complacent and fall into sin again. It was a vicious cycle, described in detail in Judges 2:16-19.

But there are good cycles of life also. There are good habits and helpful grooves that we can get into that repeat and reinforce positive behavior and lead to victorious living. Take, for example, the opening verse of the book, “After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord...” (Josh. 1:1a). They hadn’t always done that, you know. It appears that Joshua taught them well. Under his leadership they’d gotten in the habit of consulting the Lord before major decisions. That’s a good cycle!

But the nation as a whole got into a very bad cycle right off the bat. God’s instructions had been clear: Destroy the Canaanites - all of them! (see Deut. 7:1-5; 20:16-18; etc.). Instead, we read things like:

• “the men of Judah...were unable to drive the people from the plains” (Judg. 1:19)
• “the Benjamites, however, failed to dislodge the Jebusites” (Judg. 1:21)
• “but Manasseh did not drive out the people...and their surrounding settlements” (Judg. 1:27)
• “nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites” (Judg. 1:29)
• “neither did Zebulun” (Judg. 1:30)
• “nor did Asher” (Judg. 1:31)
• “neither did Naphtali” (Judg. 1:33)

Where did it all break down? How could they so quickly fail and land so far away from the Lord? The answer is in chapter two:

The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel.... After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.... Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD's commands. (Judg. 2:7,10,16-17)

The older generation failed to teach the younger generation. Almost makes you not want to read the rest of the book - it sounds too much like where we live today.


New Testament: Acts 7

Since Saul was from Tarsus in Cilicia, it’s likely that he was a member of the “Synagogue of the Freedmen” (Acts 6:9). When the members of the synagogue brought their case before the Sanhedrin, Saul was there for the trial and execution (Acts 7:58; 8:1; c.f. 22:20) and gave his approval.

The trumped up charges against Stephen were two-fold - he spoke against the Temple and the Law of Moses. After the false witnesses gave their testimony, Stephen was allowed to speak. That was a mistake! Already “they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke” (Acts 6:10). Now, when they looked at him “they saw that his face was like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15).

And speak he did! From the empathetic and respectful introduction (“brothers and fathers”) to the emphatic and reproachful conclusion (“you stiff-necked people”), Stephen built his case on Scripture. Quoting from many different passages, he marched through Jewish history to demonstrate his point. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon.

But when he came to “You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 7:51), they didn’t want any more history lessons. Stephen applied the history a little too closely when he said, “they killed the prophets who predicted it” but “you have killed the very Righteous One who was predicted!”

When he literally saw into heaven in those last moments of his life on this earth, Stephen described “the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). As if to greet him and welcome him home, Jesus was standing to receive Stephen’s spirit at that very moment.

But just think of stepping on shore-and finding it Heaven!
Of touching a hand-and finding it God's!
Of breathing new air and finding it celestial!
Of waking up in glory - and finding it home!

As the stones flew, some of them finding their target, Stephen “fell asleep”. The momentary pain brought eternal joy.