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The Sure-footed Believer

October 13, 2024

I recently watched a video of ibexes scaling the vertical wall of a dam to obtain salt and other minerals that are missing from their plant-based diet for proper bone, nerve, and muscle function. Once they make it to the top, they lick the salt off the concrete. I was stunned as they scaled the heights, and I was equally perplexed as to how they were doing it without slipping off.

The secret sauce of these mountain goats is their cloven hooves, which have incredible gripping capabilities. Their soles are rubbery and elastic, which allows them to easily navigate rocky terrains. The edges of their hooves are hard and sharp, which allows for tenacious traction.  The structure of their toes allows them to be used as handholds on narrow cliffs and ledges. The sight of it is mind-blowing.

The agility of these ibexes’ feet reminded me of the last chapter of the Book of Habbakuk, so I decided to revisit the book written by the prophet of the same name. Although it’s only three chapters long, it’s weighty and timeless. It applies to us today as it did to Habakkuk’s world then.

Habakkuk laments to God. He expresses his grief and sorrow to God for allowing him to see iniquity, wickedness, destruction, violence, the perversion of justice, and the wicked surrounding the righteous. He has seen how the people of Judah have turned away from God toward idols and wickedness for years. 

If we’re being honest, it’s hard to understand God’s apparent inaction in our grief over our circumstances, especially those involving injustices. We expect justice to be meted out quickly. But as we turn to the Lord with our hurts, we can be sure he hears our cries and will deal with wickedness in His perfect timing. 

God says to Habbakuk, “Look among the nations and watch—Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told to you” (1:5). God responds to Habakkuk by sharing his plans to use the cruel and evil Babylonian nation to punish the apostate people in the southern kingdom of Judah. 

But Habakkuk also questions why God would allow the wicked Babylonians to deal so treacherously with more righteous people than them, even though God is using them to judge and correct Judah’s sins. 

Habakkuk then stands on his guard post on the rampart and watches, waiting for God to answer him. 

And God answered him.

“Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.”

And then, God distinguishes between two types of people: the proud and the righteous. He says that the soul of the proud is not right within him, but the just will live by faith. (Hab. 2:4)

God then decrees five woes against the Babylonians for their evil, godless ways. It could equally apply to Judah at that time or any world power and be a lesson for us all. The first speaks of theft, the second of greed, the third of violence, the fourth of drunkenness, lust, and corruption, and the fifth of idolatry. God lays out his reasons for judgment against the wicked. 

Habakkuk’s third and final chapter is a song of praise in response to the vision God asked the prophet to record earlier. It describes Jesus Christ’s second coming, the judgment of His enemies, and His people’s deliverance. 

It would be accurate to say that wickedness has been increasing, and darker days are on the horizon, but there is hope for those who make the Most High their dwelling place. He will turn our mourning into dancing one day. The book ends with Habakkuk’s last words of faith for anyone facing hard times.

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me walk upon my high places. —Habakkuk 3:17-19

Let’s not be dismayed by what’s happening around us, even in times of extreme lack and wickedness. The key to not becoming overwhelmed is to praise God, rejoice, and be grateful for His faithfulness, despite what we’re going through. God will most assuredly come through. He will provide for and protect us, strengthening and equipping us to rise above it all in faith and expectation.

He will make our feet like the ibex, enabling us to ascend the mountain of God, where we’re always safe in the secret place of His presence. Just like those mountain goats scale the heights to get what they need to survive, we also know that the source of our life and well-being is our creator, and to Him, we turn with confidence in His unfailing love.

BIBLE VERSES TO STUDY

How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. - Habakkuk 1:2-4 NIV

Then the Lord answered me and said, “Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay." - Habakkuk 2:2-3 NASB

Though the fig tree do not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like hinds’ feet, he makes me tread upon my high places. - Habakkuk 3:17-19 RSV

Hace poco vi un vídeo de cabras montesas escalando la pared vertical de una presa para obtener sal y otros minerales que les faltan en su dieta vegetal para el correcto funcionamiento de los huesos, los nervios y los músculos. Una vez que llegan a la cima, lamen la sal del hormigón. Me quedé atónita al ver cómo escalaban las alturas, y me quedé igualmente perpleja al ver cómo lo hacían sin resbalarse.

El ingrediente secreto de estas cabras montesas son sus pezuñas hendidas, que tienen una capacidad de agarre increíble. Sus suelas son gomosas y elásticas, lo que les permite desplazarse fácilmente por terrenos rocosos. Los bordes de sus pezuñas son duros y afilados, lo que les permite una tracción tenaz. La estructura de sus dedos les permite ser utilizados como asideros en acantilados y cornisas estrechas. La vista es alucinante.

La agilidad de las patas de estas cabras montesas me recordó el último capítulo del Libro de Habacuc, así que decidí volver a leer el libro escrito por el profeta del mismo nombre. Aunque sólo tiene tres capítulos, es importante y atemporal. Se aplica a nosotros hoy como se aplicaba al mundo de Habacuc en aquel entonces.

Habacuc se lamenta ante Dios. Expresa su dolor y pena a Dios por permitirle ver la iniquidad, la maldad, la destrucción, la violencia, la perversión de la justicia y a los malvados rodeando a los justos. Habacuc ha visto cómo el pueblo de Judá se ha alejado de Dios hacia los ídolos y la maldad durante años.

Si somos honestos, es difícil entender la aparente inacción de Dios en nuestro dolor por nuestras circunstancias, especialmente las que involucran injusticias. Esperamos que la justicia se imparta rápidamente. Pero cuando nos volvemos al Señor con nuestras heridas, podemos estar seguros de que escucha nuestros clamores y se ocupará de la maldad en Su tiempo perfecto.

Dios le dice a Habacuc: «Mira entre las naciones y observa; ¡quedaos atónitos! Porque haré en vuestros días una obra que no creeréis si se os contara» (1:5). Dios le responde a Habacuc compartiendo sus planes de usar a la cruel y malvada nación babilónica para castigar al pueblo apóstata del reino del sur de Judá.

Pero Habacuc también se pregunta por qué Dios permitiría que los malvados babilonios trataran de manera tan traicionera a personas más justas que ellos, a pesar de que Dios los está usando para juzgar y corregir los pecados de Judá.

Entonces Habacuc se para en su puesto de guardia en la muralla y observa, esperando que Dios le responda.

Y Dios le respondió.

«Escribe la visión y escríbela en tablas, para que corra el que la lea. Porque la visión aún está a tiempo; se apresura hacia el fin, y no fallará. Aunque tarde, espérala; porque sin duda vendrá, no tardará».

Y luego, Dios distingue entre dos tipos de personas: los orgullosos y los justos. Él dice que el alma del orgulloso no es recta en sí misma, pero el justo vivirá por la fe. (Hab. 2:4)

Dios luego decreta cinco ayes contra los babilonios por sus caminos malvados e impíos. Podría aplicarse igualmente a Judá en ese momento o a cualquier potencia mundial y ser una lección para todos nosotros. El primero habla del robo, el segundo de la avaricia, el tercero de la violencia, el cuarto de la borrachera, la lujuria y la corrupción, y el quinto de la idolatría. Dios expone sus razones para juzgar a los malvados.

El tercer y último capítulo de Habacuc es un canto de alabanza en respuesta a la visión que Dios le pidió al profeta que registrara anteriormente. Describe la segunda venida de Jesucristo, el juicio de sus enemigos y la liberación de su pueblo.

Sería preciso decir que la maldad ha ido aumentando y que se avecinan días más oscuros, pero hay esperanza para quienes hacen del Altísimo su morada. Un día, Él convertirá nuestro duelo en baile. El libro termina con las últimas palabras de fe de Habacuc para todo aquel que esté atravesando tiempos difíciles.

Aunque la higuera no florezca, ni en las viñas haya frutos, ni falte el producto del olivo, ni los labrados den mantenimiento, ni las ovejas sean quitadas de la majada, ni haya vacas en los establos; con todo, yo me alegraré en Jehová, me gozaré en el Dios de mi salvación. Jehová Dios es mi fortaleza, y hará mis pies como de ciervas, y en mis alturas me hará andar. —Habacuc 3:17-19

No nos desanimemos por lo que sucede a nuestro alrededor, incluso en tiempos de extrema carencia y maldad. La clave para no abrumarnos es alabar a Dios, regocijarnos y estar agradecidos por Su fidelidad, a pesar de lo que estamos atravesando. Dios, con toda seguridad, nos ayudará. Él nos proveerá y nos protegerá, nos fortalecerá y nos equipará para superar todo esto con fe y expectativa.

Él hará nuestros pies como los de los íbices, permitiéndonos ascender a la montaña de Dios, donde siempre estaremos seguros en el lugar secreto de Su presencia. Así como esas cabras montesas escalan las alturas para conseguir lo que necesitan para sobrevivir, también sabemos que la fuente de nuestra vida y bienestar es nuestro Creador, y a Él nos dirigimos con confianza en Su amor infalible.

VERSÍCULOS DE LA BIBLIA PARA ESTUDIAR

¿Hasta cuándo, Señor, clamaré a Dios, y tú no me escucharás? ¿Por qué me haces ver la injusticia? ¿Por qué toleras la injusticia? Delante de mí hay destrucción y violencia; hay contiendas y muchos conflictos. Por eso la ley está paralizada y la justicia nunca prevalece. Los malvados cercan a los justos, y la justicia se pervierte. - Habacuc 1:2-4 NVI

Entonces el Señor me respondió y dijo: «Anota la visión y escríbela en tablas, para que corra el que la lea. Porque la visión se demorará en llegar a su fin; se apresura hacia el fin, y no fallará. Aunque tarde, espérala; porque ciertamente vendrá, no tardará». - Habacuc 2:2-3 NVI

Aunque la higuera no florezca, ni en las viñas haya frutos, aunque falte el fruto del olivo, y los labrados no den mantenimiento, y las ovejas sean quitadas de la majada, y no haya vacas en los establos; con todo, yo me alegraré en Jehová, y me gozaré en el Dios de mi salvación. Dios Jehová es mi fortaleza; Él hace mis pies como de ciervas, Y me hace andar sobre mis alturas. - Habacuc 3:17-19 RVR1960

Bible Study

Lessons from a Dodo

March 17, 2023

The dodo bird is extinct. So, what can I say about a flightless, homely-looking bird that isn’t around anymore? It couldn’t soar like the eagle due to its stubby, powerless wings and it couldn’t even strut around proud as a peacock covered with gray down instead of feathers. Yet its legacy lives on 300 years later in our modern-day vernacular, “You dodo bird!” 

The dodo was first discovered living in the palm and tropical fruit-tree dense forests of the island of Mauritius off the coast of Africa in 1598 by Dutch and Portuguese explorers. They named it dodoor, which means ‘sluggard’ in Dutch and doudou, which means ‘simpleton’ in Portuguese.  

The dodo bird frolicked on the island with no need to migrate to far-off lands. It had sufficient fair to eat and no apparent enemies on the island. Over time this ancestor of the pigeon lost its ability to fly because it had no reason to. However, when the ravenous, seafaring sailors came to the island they hunted the birds. They also brought carnivorous dogs, cats, and pigs with them, and most likely stowaway rats. This sudden new threat endangered the species and eventually contributed to its disappearance. 

The dodo was caught off guard. Being isolated and conditioned to live carefree didn’t prepare it for the danger that would devour its paradisiacal and inexperienced existence. It lacked the biological response animals have to acute stress coined, fight or flight. The dodo didn’t fight to protect itself or escape capture. It didn’t disappear physically or even disappear in place by playing dead or camouflaging itself with a change of colors, like the chameleon. Its adrenaline-charged self-defense reflex didn’t budge, which would have heightened its speed, force, sight, hearing, thinking, or flying. Even if it had tried to fly away, it wouldn’t have succeeded. Because it hadn’t branched out to discover other realities. It clipped its own wings. 

Many of us can’t interpret the danger signs against our very lives. We’re not privy to the enemy’s tactics bent on our destruction. We ignore the world, the flesh, and the devil as real threats, like the dodo bird living on an island, indulging itself and unaware of an existing enemy.  

The apostle Peter teaches us to “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) 

What does it mean to be sober-minded or of a sober spirit? 

When we think about being sober the first thing that pops into our minds is abstaining from intoxicating or addictive substances such as alcohol and drugs.  

Allowing our minds to be influenced, manipulated, or controlled by the spiritual forces of darkness is just as harmful as introducing foreign or dangerous substances into our physical bodies. The problem is that these influences usually masquerade themselves under the guise of widely accepted cultural practices, ideologies, religions, fads, and entertainment.  

Many professing Christians have become desensitized to these deceptions, easily accepting worldly standards instead of God’s plumbline of truth. It takes wisdom from the Holy Spirit to know the difference between worldly and Christian values.

Believers succumb to the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, and the lust of the eyes; tempted by the physical world and its desires, looking to notable celebrities and the latest guru instead of seeking the kingdom of God for spiritual instruction. If we look, sound, and act like unbelievers that’s a sure marker that we’re off course spiritually.

We have a critical choice to make. We can sway on a hammock, holding a piña colada in one hand and our cell phone in the other and be a prime target for the enemy, like the dodo bird of years past, or we can prepare ourselves to fight the good fight and escape the snare of the enemy.  

Recently, I had a conversation with a pastor, and he reminded me that it takes daily discipline to pray, study the word of God, and introduce Godly-inspired habits that will help us manage the flesh and its lusts because temptations are always willing to come knocking, especially when our defenses are down. 

To be sober-minded or free from intoxicating influences such as lies, pleasures, and worldly riches, we must know the truth found in God’s word which will help us stay alert and prayerful. The most important thing that should be in our hands is the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God; it is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God.  

We must know the word of God, believe the word of God, and wield the word of God! 

Bible Study, Devotional

Secrets of the Redwood Forest (Tall Tales)

October 8, 2022
Redwoods along the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway in Northern California. Photo / Ibelisse Sanchez (2022)

 

the tallest trees in the world

The redwood forest is a fairytale to visit. It has centuries of secrets throughout its cinnamon-red bark tree groves, whispered like fireflies ready to be caught. Some of the massive trees in the forest are as old as 2000 plus years; mere saplings destined to scrape the skies in the Northern Hemisphere when Jesus walked this earth.

Redwoods can grow to 350 feet tall. There’s much happening between the ground and the crown of the redwood. Simply standing next to these giants is quite humbling. We can’t help to look up at these tall trees in admiration. They hover over us as nature’s guardians.

I can only imagine the Earth’s quake when they fall. That was their great peril many moons ago when logging was rampant in Humboldt County of Northern California. Chopping down a redwood tree wasn’t an easy task in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Before electric saws were invented, this was done with axes and hand saws, which took days to complete.

What was left behind in that early period of logging the coastal redwoods was a forest floor filled with headstones of old-growth tree stumps. The cut stumps revealed the secret of how long the trees had lived. The top of a tree stump has concentric rings, with light-colored rings representing growth occurring in the spring and early summer, and dark rings representing wood that grows in the late summer and fall. The combination of one light ring plus one dark ring would equal one year of life for the tree. In the mid-1850s, redwood forests covered 2,000,000 acres of the California coast. By 1910, conservation efforts began to preserve the remaining redwood trees. By 1968, 90% of the trees that stood the test of time had been logged. Today, these old-growth redwoods comprise only 39,000 acres, located in the Redwood National and State Parks.

a king, a dream, and a tall tree

Trees are quite predominant in nature and in the Bible. Around 2500 years ago Nebuchadnezzar was king over the Neo-Babylonian Empire (605 – 562 B.C.); a pagan warrior-ruler-builder who wreaked havoc on his enemies. He destroyed the Kingdom of Judah, Solomon’s temple, and led its people into captivity to Babylonia. Among the exiles was Daniel, a young Jew from Jerusalem taken captive who proved to be quite useful to the king with the interpretation of dreams (when the king wasn’t throwing him into a fiery furnace for refusing to serve other gods or worship the golden image the king had set up).

One night, Nebuchadnezzar saw terrifying images and visions while lying in bed and none of the wise men of the land could interpret the dream. Sorcerers and soothsayers, diviners, and Chaldeans came to him and couldn’t reveal its meaning.

The king dreamt of a tree that grew strong, and its height reached the heavens above and could be seen all over the earth. Then an angelic watcher, a holy one come from heaven appeared and shouted:

“Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
Shake off its foliage and scatter its fruit;
Let the animals flee from under it
And the birds from its branches.
Yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground,
But with a band of iron and bronze around it
In the new grass of the field;
And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven,
And let him share with the animals in the grass of the earth.
Let his mind change from that of a human
And let an animal’s mind be given to him,
And let seven periods of time pass over him.
This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers,
And the decision is a command of the holy ones,
In order that the living may know
That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind,
And He grants it to whomever He wishes
And sets over it the lowliest of people.”

Daniel 4:14-17

Nebuchadnezzar is a color monotype print with additions in ink and watercolor portraying the Babylonian king by English poet, painter, and printmaker William Blake (1757-1827). Photo / Tate Gallery in Great Britain

Daniel interpreted the dream and gave the king a decree. He revealed to Nebuchadnezzar that he was the tree that became great and strong, whose dominion reached far and wide. He was the tree to be chopped down to the stump, to be driven from his people, to live among wild animals, to be given the mind of an animal, and eat grass like an ox, for 7 years. But Daniel also advised him to renounce his sins and wickedness by doing what was right and kind.

King Nebuchadnezzar didn’t heed Daniel’s wise counsel and a year later he was walking on the roof of his royal palace and prideful words leaped from his heart and rolled off his tongue.

“Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?’ While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you.”

The frightful dream was fulfilled.

And at the end of 7 long years, King Nebuchadnezzar looked up to the heavens and his sanity was restored and he praised the Most High. The restoration of his honor, his splendor, and his throne followed suit. Daniel 4 not only includes the king’s dream, but a testimony of his pride, God’s glorious and miraculous power and reign, and his merciful restoration.

tall tale takeaways for spiritual growth and freedom

In working with formerly incarcerated clients, I’ve found a common denominator: self-serving decision-making without regard to God or others will lead to bondage, both physically (sometimes with a prison sentence) and spiritually. The latter is much worse than the former, with the possibility of lasting an eternity without true repentance. Below are a few keys to freedom that will lead to a life set apart for God, His ways, His plans, and His glory.

1) Seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, not your own.

Nebuchadnezzar was focused on building his own kingdom and exalting his own name. And in his chase after the things of this world, he neglected the oppressed. After interpreting the dream of the tree to the king, Daniel earnestly advised him to repent of his sins and help the oppressed and he failed to do that, causing the gavel of justice to come down. This incessant striving to build and exalt our own kingdom is rampant in this technological age and has become a spiritual pandemic. John Calvin once said that it is the task of the church to make the invisible kingdom visible. That should be our sole desire and pursuit. God promised that He would take care of the rest.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.

(Matthew 6:3, NASB)

2) Pride leads to insanity and destruction, humility to peace and prosperity.

While the Kingdom of God includes His supreme reign over all, it innately also includes His thoughts and ways of being, which are naturally not our thoughts and ways. In seeking God’s kingdom, we are also in pursuit of aligning with His heart and mind. Prideful, self-aggrandizing thoughts and subsequent behaviors can lead to mental health and emotional issues. Our minds are literally lost in the world of self and are unable to hear or see anything else. This leads to an inflated sense of power and corrodes personal and social relationships. This is what King Nebuchadnezzar experienced. God wisely counsels us to humble ourselves under His mighty hand, so that He will lift us up in due time.

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18, NLT)

Laying your life down in tender surrender before the Lord will bring life, prosperity, and honor as your reward. (Proverbs 16:18, TPT)

3) God is merciful and sovereign; therefore, judge not.

When God decreed Nebuchadnezzar’s 7-year sentence for having a prideful heart, he didn’t completely destroy him or his kingdom. He simply humbled him because he would not humble himself. Leaving the stump and its roots imprisoned in a band of iron and bronze, represented God’s mercy toward him. In nature, trees can grow back from a cut stump. If the root system has enough remaining nutrients, then the impossible becomes possible. For some of my formerly incarcerated clients, the prison was their saving grace. Everything they pridefully pursued was stripped from them, and like a cut tree stump, they waited behind bars, sought the Lord, and were freed spiritually before they were freed physically.

In the Bible, we learn that the ‘Year of Jubilee’ released those from debts and all kinds of bondage; prisoners, captives, and all slaves were released, debts were forgiven, and all property was returned to its original owners. This occurred after seven cycles of seven years, or after 49 years. King Nebuchadnezzar was completely restored after 7 years. And as He works with us and through and for us in our weakness, we too can shout, “Grace, grace,” like the prophet Zechariah, as God lays the capstone Jesus Christ in our new heart-temple.

I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and will show clemency on whom I will show clemency. (Exodus 33:19, Jubilee Bible 2000)

Bible Study

May God Live

August 30, 2012

1 Chronicles 29:6-9; Ephesians 4:11-16.

King David captured the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites, brought the Ark of the Covenant over from Kiriath-Jearim, trained Levitical singers and musicians and composed Psalms—all in preparation for the future temple his heart desired to build for God. As a leader, King David set an example. He gave from his own personal treasures and asked who was willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord. By this he meant, giving gifts for the construction of the temple. The leaders of the people responded joyously with gifts of gold, silver, bronze, iron—and even precious stones!

There’s no doubt that the metals were acceptable gifts, but notice in the Bible text that the precious stones were given to the treasury of the temple. They were especially guarded—entrusted into the care of Jehiel, the Gershonite. Being a Gershonite made him a descendant of Levi. The Levites assisted the temple priests. They were servants of the Lord in His temple with varied functions—singing, maintenance, construction, teaching and judging, to name a few. Let’s keep that in mind as we discuss the spiritual parallel to the physical temple.

The physical temple was a foreshadowing of the spiritual temple of the body of Christ (Church). Believers are now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16). In Hebrew, Jehiel’s name means may God live. When we surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:14) and allow Him to be our teacher (John 14:26) and our guide (John 16:13), in essence, we’re saying, “May God live” in us and through us and use us. When we build up the body of Christ, the fullness of God in His Son Jesus Christ lives in us through His Holy Spirit (Colossians 2:9)!

With that in mind, what do we have that God can use for the edification of the body of Christ? Our personal treasures are nothing less than the perfect gifts God Himself has given us (James 1:17). We are to give to the service of God what He has deposited into each of us—all of His precious gifts. Believers today are entrusted with natural and spiritual gifts to edify—build up the body of Christ, just like the precious stones in Jehiel’s custody. By using our unique gifting in service to God and each other, each member of the body of Christ helps to fortify it.

Not only has God given us charismatic gifts (1 Cor. 12-14) and service gifts (Rom. 12:6-8) but the ultimate gift of Christ Himself (John 4:10), the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:18-20), eternal life (Rom. 6:23), natural abilities (1 Cor. 7:7), salvation through faith (Ephesians 2:8) and love (2 Tim. 1:6-7).

But listen, we can’t give what we don’t have—much less, joyfully. Lives running on empty—just getting by without the saving blood of Jesus and His power through the Spirit—isn’t an effective life (Acts 1:8). We’re breathing but not living the abundant life Jesus offers—a chest full of treasures waiting to be discovered to edify God’s people!

This is a repost of my Bible Study on Charisma Magazine’s website.

Click LINK to view.

Bible Study

Bursting the Veil

August 14, 2012

Hebrews 9:1-9; Judges 1:9-15

There is a hidden love story with an incredible “The End” in one of the unlikeliest of places in the Bible—in the first chapter of the book of Judges. Among the tale of the conquered Canaanites by the tribe of Judah after the death of Joshua, is a gem of a story that women will Ooo and Aah over and men will respect.

Long story short, Caleb offers his daughter Achsah in marriage to the man who conquers the city of Kirjath-Sepher. His younger brother, Othniel, wins the prize. End of story? Not quite. Once married to Othniel, Achsah urges him to ask her father for land. Caleb gives them a southern land but she also asks for a water supply and he gives her the upper and lower springs.

Are you at the edge of your seat yet? I know you’re not. A superficial reading of this story has probably left you huffing and puffing at the arranged marriage. Hang on! A closer look reveals a fresh perspective and the study of biblical Hebrew adds an astounding depth to its meaning.

Humor me for a few minutes. We’ve already read the text in a straightforward fashion. Suppose we read the story slightly different and substitute God for Achsah’s father Caleb and Jesus for Othniel, whose name means lion of God. Nothing less than spine-chilling! Jesus as the bridegroom puts His life on the line to redeem Achsah when He took possession of Kirjath-Sepher or city of the book. Debir, which means Holy of Holies, was formerly known as Kirjath-Sepher.

As the innermost sacred space of the tabernacle, the Aaronic high priest only entered the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement—no bells, no speaking and barefoot (Leviticus 16:1). When Jesus died on the cross, the temple veil dividing the holy place from the Most Holy tore in two from top to bottom, granting believers access to the Almighty God through Jesus’ substitutionary death (Matthew 27:50-51a).

With that said, here’s the icing on the wedding cake: Once married to Jesus, the church-bride Achsah enters God’s throne room and asks for a special favor from God and she’s given the gift of His Spirit with an unending flow like rivers of living waters. Achsah’s name means anklet or adorned, but according to Hitchcock’s Bible Names Dictionary it also means bursting the veil. Only her feet covered with the gospel of peace, which is the Wordof God, would allow her to enter with boldness into the Most Holy place where the Shekinah Glory of God dwells.

Dare we as the body of Christ—the bride without spot or blemish—imagine what life would be like if we truly claimed our spiritual inheritance through Christ Jesus? We would be bursting through the veil to grasp the promises of God as abundant gifts wrapped and ready for a receiving heart; expecting more spiritual riches from our heavenly Father than what we’ve settled for. The end of this sweeping romance opens the door to a promised land flowing with much more than milk and honey.

This is a repost of my Bible Study on Charisma Magazine’s website.

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