At the campground.

 Our little Frolic among the behemoths.

Most folks’ comments include the word “cute.”

Treating Others Right, Even Those Who Don't Deserve It

 I read Amos in my devotions this morning. To be honest, it is a pretty dismal book, full of words of condemnation. Here is one example.

    Thus says the LORD: 

    "For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom. So I will send a fire on Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die . . .."  (Am 2:1–2)

When I read that, I asked myself, "Hadn't I already heard about Edom from the Prophet Amos?"

Yes, I had.

    "Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity; he maintained his anger perpetually, and kept his wrath forever. So I will send a fire on Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah [2 cities in Edom]." (Am 1:11-12)

So the Lord pronounces judgment on one nation and then pronounces judgment on another nation for basically doing what the Lord said He would do to that same nation?

Yes, pretty much. Why? 

Certainly, it is above my paygrade to explain the ways of the Lord, but let me surmise for a moment. I think I have something instructive and useful in mind. Could it be that the Lord is like a human parent who challenges the right of an unrelated adult to discipline the parent's child and then proceeds to discipline their child for precisely the offense that motivated the outsider's intervention? "This is my child, I'll take care of this."  Romans 12:19 lends some credence to this theory.

   “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”” (Romans 12:19, ESV)

I see, however, behind this apparent conflict of judgment a principle that we need to remember in our contentious age. Even our enemies deserve to be treated with respect. The principle reaches as far as animals:

   “If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.” (Exodus 23:5, ESV, emp. added)  

Let's keep in mind that even bad people are people. We should treat them as such.

The Journey Isn't Done, But I'm Working Toward Seeing The Destination More Clearly.

 

As the name of my blog--"The View Through My Keyhole"--would imply, these musings are about how I see things. It is also an admission that my view is limited. Recently two scenes appeared side-by-side in my vision of the world. One has to do with the current cultural moment and how we respond to it (here). It references some other observers/thinkers who operate on a higher pay grade than me. The other scene is timeless. It comes from the Psalms of ascent or degrees, songs the ancient Israelites sang as they made their way to the annual feasts that were anchors of their faith and way of life. You can find my thoughts here, here, and here.

A journey implies a destination.

A Beautiful Triad That Ends in Peace

 I'm sorry that I haven't gotten back to my thoughts on the Psalms of Ascent sooner. I've been hanging out with a couple of my grandkids and their wonderful parents. It is a blessed distraction. It's almost enough to take my mind off of the tragedy that is going on around us all. Almost.

As the ancient Israelites made their way to Jerusalem to worship the Lord by keeping the feast days, they too passed through a land of trouble. Listen as they sing.

Continuing Thoughts on Songs to be Sung on the Journey from Distress to Peace, Psalms 120-134

 Yesterday, with some help from Anne Murray, I posted the first of some thoughts and impressions about the fifteen songs in the Book of Psalms known as the "Songs (or Psalms) of Ascent." They are traveling songs. They were sung by Jewish pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem for the feasts that were a central part of their worship. I am continuing to think about these Psalms, today.

You have to work hard for good news, but it's worth the effort.

 I'm sure you can't imagine why today's news reminded me of an old Anne Murray song.

On top of the epi/pan/en-demic, inflation, ugly politics, the war in Ukraine I woke up this morning to embarrassing revelations in the world of religion that are way too close to home. You're right, Anne, "we sure could use a little good news today."

I've been following a DIY devotional plan this year. Part of it is reading through Psalms each month. From month to month I use a different translation. May is King James month. I know that the ancient Israelites didn't speak with a British accent but to an old guy who grew up on the KJV, it just sounds a little more Psalmish than the ESV, NASB, NIV, etc.

After my dose of bad news, I landed at Psalm 120 this morning. It is the first of fifteen "Psalms of Ascent," or as the KJV labels them, "Psalms of Degrees." As the Jewish pilgrims made their way to Jerusalem for the important feast days their journey was mostly uphill--they ascended by degrees. I quickly read through these traveling songs, this morning. As I walked and sang along with these Old Testament worshippers of God, I was carried along by the mental/spiritual journey they took as they slowly made the sandals-on-the-ground trip to Zion. 

Making a journey like this took a lot of commitment for a group of people who spent their days laboring hard in the field, shop, or home.  Why would they take time away from their occupation--one that required hard and constant work just to get by--and bear the expense, trouble, and risk of a trip to the Holy City? Psalm 120 gives the answer. The opening chorus of the travel songs begins in a minor key, "In my distress I cried unto the LORD." Like Isaiah at his moment of clarity (Isaiah 6:5) the Psalm writer/singer saw the evil that spewed from people's mouths. He was tired of the lies, and worse, I get the idea that the Psalm writer knew that he was not free of the falsehood epidemic. "Deliver my soul, oh Lord, from lying lips." Is he pleading to be delivered from the harm that the liars that surround him inflict? Certainly. Is he concerned that, like Isaiah realized, he too was a "man of unclean lips"? I think so. In the New Testament, we read, "Bad company corrupts good morals."

Toward the end of the Psalm, you can hear the weariness of the God-worshipper with being surrounded day after day by the lie-tellers and peace-opposers. Meshech and Kedar are addresses of places in the world--the place that the Apostle John says, "lies in the power of the evil one." They are representative of everywhere in the world. They are places not unlike where you and I live. The ancient Israelite heard it in the marketplace or the gate of the city, Anne Murray took the rubber band off of the paper, and you and I click on a website. It's the same--there is a serious lack of good news.

The discontent motivated the faithful of  Israel to make the dusty journey, as you travel with them, you can hear their songs change. Hope enters; there is joy. Where does one find help? "My help comes from the Lord." The distress is transformed into gladness as the pilgrims contemplate the stability that comes to those who worship the LORD. As the contemplation of communion with the God of truth and peace built toward a crescendo, someone broke out in song, singing the words the warrior king, David, had written,

I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. 

O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. (Psalm 131:2–3, ESV)

I may pick up these wonderful songs again, soon, but for now, I leave you with David's words. "Hope in the Lord." That's good news we can all use.

Trying to Live as a Positive Christian Influencer in a "Negative" World

 I begin by mentioning three articles that I think are worth thinking about. I finish with some--probably unfinished--thoughts about where I find myself, in this regard, in my emeritus phase of life. 

Here are the three articles:

• Welcome to the Negative World: Why We Need American Reformer, Aaron Renn
• A Critique of Tim Keller Reveals the Moral Devolution of the New Christian Right, David French
• How I Evolved on Tim Keller, James R. Wood
• Plus, note the bonus article at the end.