Wednesday, May 26

Um...hey.

Reading for May 26
2 Samuel 9:1-11:27
So this section talks about a well known story from the Bible - David and Bathsheba. However, before it gets there, there is a chapter devoted to David being overly generous and kind. As you may remember, Saul and David didn't really get along - in the Saul-kept-trying-to-kill-David kind of way. So after Saul's death, there was still violence between David's supporters and Saul's supporters. However, in this scene, David is asking around to see if anyone is left alive in Saul's family.  It turns out Saul's grandson, Jonathan's son, is still around. David is extremely kind to this guy - he gives him back all the land that belonged to Saul during his reign as king and also said that he had an open invitation to eat with him whenever he wanted.

After that, Israel defeats the Ammonites, but David wants to show kindness to the son of the king, because the king was kind to David many years back when he was hiding from Saul. He sends a few guys to give their condolences to Hanun, the son of the king. Hanun's posse thinks that David's messengers are there to spy on them. So the Ammonites capture David's messengers and shave off their beards and cut the butt off their cloaks - a pretty humiliating thing I would think. Imagine how sweet those dude's beards were.

Anyway, this sets David off and a war breaks out against a group of people called the Arameans - a hired army by the Ammonites. During this war, David who is resting comfortably in his palace, goes up on his roof. He sees some babe named Bathsheeba taking a bath. That's a little predictable don't you think? Do you think Bathsheba's friends were always like "Oh there she is, taking a bath again!" Anyway, David sends for this woman, they do it and she gets pregnant. Also she's already married. Whoopsie.

OK, so at this point, David has done something pretty awful. But he acted on impulse and passion and that can often be forgiven. Not saying it's right at all, but most people would allow him a second chance for a mistake. Well, David freaks out at hearing of Bath's pregnancy. Now, her husband was in David's army so David asked for him to be taken from the battle, and he tells him to go home and be with Bathsheba for the night - obviously hoping that he will do her, and then everyone will think the baby was his. Well, he doesn't go home. David then tries to get him drunk so he will go home. Again he doesn't. Then David says "screw it" and sends this poor guy onto the front lines of the battle where he would surely be killed. And he is killed. And then David takes Bathsheba as his wife. Way to go, douche. Great line at the end though:

But the thing David had done displeased the LORD.

Finally, my morals and God's morals line up. This did make me think of something. I am always so outraged at what God does in the Old Testament, but look how awful his people are. It really is a tragedy when you look at it from where God intended it to be to where it was at this point. People were being unbelievably awful and God was letting them know it. It was a hate-hate, lose-lose relationship.

John 15:1-27
You know what I just realized? I don't think there's any parables in John. Interesting. Anyway, there is a light parable here where Jesus compares the relationship between him and people as the relationship between a branch and a vine. My pastor, Christian gave a great sermon on this a couple of weeks ago - where he said that that relationship is a living relationship. Both the vine and the branch are required to be active participants in the relationship. Which means we need to actively be seeking relationship with Jesus and communing with him and reading the Bible. By comparison to the Old Testament (and my 'lose-lose' statement above) this relationship is win-win. Both parties are benefiting, both parties are happy and both parties are producing something productive and helpful to the world around them. Here, just read this:

¹"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

Verse 2 is especially compelling. It gives a reason to suffering. Being 'pruned', which may be painful, is necessary to produce better things in the future. For example, I went to the dentist today and it sucked big ones cuz I have super sensitive gums that hurt really bad when he scrapes them with that freaking needle-drill. But this was a necessary pain so I don't lose my teeth, get it?

Then, for the third time in three chapters, Jesus commands us to love one another:

¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. ¹⁷This is my command: Love each other.

What an incredible section of text. Jesus calls us his friends. Wow. So even if you think of it as a favor for dying for us, maybe we should follow this command of Jesus. Love each other.  Love each other.

I've really been trying to do this lately - at work especially. I've been going out of my way to be extra nice to people. Not like corny, fake nice. But just looking for people who need help and offering to help. Or saying hey to someone that looks lonely. It not only effects those around you, but it puts you in a better mood overall. Try it. Love each other.


Psalm 119:49-64
 ⁶⁴ The earth is filled with your love, O LORD;
       teach me your decrees.

I like this. There seems to be a direct relationship between the earth being filled with God's love, and learning God's laws. Interesting the author uses God's love and not his rules or power or justice.  His love is what is most prevalent across the entire world. So because of that, teach me your decress...Hmm...I got nothin. But I still like how it sounds.

Proverbs 16:1-3
 ¹ To man belong the plans of the heart,
       but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.
 ² All a man's ways seem innocent to him,
       but motives are weighed by the LORD.
 ³ Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
       and your plans will succeed.

This should be submitted for the debate of "Is God Good?" Our understanding of what is good is not always God's understanding. So something that may seem like the right way to do things to us, may be something God sees as awful. Or vice versa. I've mentioned a couple times how the Jews are often viewed as the villains of the Jesus story, but really they're the catalyst for what our entire religion is based on. God's plan was for that evil nature to carry out this masterpiece of a plan to redeem the whole world through the actions of people who were perceived to be evil. God made it possible for the Jews to capture Jesus, beat him, humiliate him and crucify him. He moves in mysterious ways.