January 9 ▪ Day 9

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 3:25–26
Genesis 17–18
Matthew 9
Psalms 9

Verse Focus (Proverbs 3:25–26)

²⁵Have no fear of sudden disaster
     or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
²⁶for the LORD will be at your side
     and will keep your foot from being snared.

Meditation

Good morning and welcome! Today our verse focus, Proverbs 3:25-26, gives a wonderful promise of peace and protection. Do not fear sudden disaster. Don’t fear ruin. God will be with you — right next to you, in fact! — and He will keep your “foot from being snared.” Just hearing these words gives me peace and strengthens the trust I have in the LORD.

But now here we are at the start of 2021. This is a wonderful promise for us, but then what are we to make of a year like 2020? The worldwide pandemic was certainly “sudden” — it seemed to come out of nowhere! And with all the hospitalizations and deaths and lost jobs and economic impacts (not to mention the civil unrest of this past year) — well, that seems pretty close to “disaster” to me. So what are we to make of this promise? As I meditate on these verses, I realize that God has not said that we will not experience sudden disaster, but that we should not fear it. We need not fear it, because whatever trials may come, God will be right there with us.

Let’s also talk about that foot being snared. To me, I think of falling when I think of my foot being snared. It also might mean that you are “caught” by the circumstances, by the disaster. It can also mean that you are stuck. I believe these verses are telling us that God will protect us in the disasters of life. Does it mean we can’t die of coronavirus? No, of course not. But with God at our side, we can be sure that whatever path lies ahead, it will be for the best. And we can pray for these things when we are surrounded by disaster — Heavenly Father, please protect me from falling and being overwhelmed by this disaster. Don’t let me get stuck. Keep me moving forward for your kingdom.

In Genesis chapter 17, we have the formal covenant between God and Abram. God has been telling Abram about this for nearly 25 years. But it’s official, now. He introduces himself by a new name — God Almighty (El-Shaddai). And He gives new names to Abram and Sarai. Abram (“exalted father”) becomes Abraham (“father of multitudes” or “father of many nations”). Sarai becomes Sarah (“princess”), a fitting name for the one who will become the mother of multitudes.

As a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham — where God will be the God of Abraham and all his descendants, giving them the land of Canaan as their “everlasting” possession — God instructs that all their males, young and old, slave and free, must be circumcised. They will each bear this sign of the covenant in their flesh. And Abraham obeys. That very day he and all the males in his household are circumcised. Abraham is 99 years old; Ishmael is now 13.

What strikes me about this covenant is how very tangible the sign is. It is in their flesh and inescapable (for the men, at least). Daily they will see this sign — and thus hopefully they will remember the covenant.

As we read through the Old Testament, we will see this again and again. God institutes laws and festivals and songs, all structured so that the Israelites will remember.

We live in the age of worshiping God as Spirit. And, fortunately, we now have the Holy Spirit to help us remember. But it’s worth considering how ritual, song, and structure can help us to remember God. I say this having grown up in a very non-liturgical church. Not that liturgy is the answer, per se. Just that I can see what a role liturgy, formal prayers, hymns, sacraments, spiritual disciplines, celebrations, and other things may have in helping one draw near to God. I confess that I have a longing for more tangible reminders in my life. So maybe this is just my assignment for further contemplation!

When God tells Abraham that he will have a son by Sarah, Abraham laughs. At least he’s facedown, so it’s not quite as bad as laughing in God’s face (not that you can really be apart from God’s presence). And Abraham asks for God to bless Ishmael. God first re-confirms that the promise is for Isaac, the son to be born to Sarah. But He also agrees to bless Ishmael, saying that he will become the father of 12 rulers. God concludes their conversation by telling Abraham that Sarah will have Isaac by “this time next year.”

In Genesis 18, it is Sarah who laughs at the idea that she will have a child. And this time, the LORD decides to confront the laughter. He asks, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” Sarah is frightened, so she lies and claims that she did not laugh. But the LORD does not let her get away with her deception. He does not rebuke or punish her in any other way, but he confirms the truth that Sarah had indeed laughed.

The incidents in Genesis 18 happen very close in time to the events in Genesis 17, because the LORD promises that he will return by this time next year and by then Sarah will have a son.

We are told a story of Abraham being visited by the LORD. He sees three men, and Abraham rushes to show them hospitality. It is not entirely clear how Abraham recognized the LORD, whether He was one of the three “men” that had appeared or if the LORD was there in addition to the three men. Was this a pre-incarnate Jesus who was visiting in human form, or was it the form God took in the Garden of Eden? (Personally, I wonder if the three men aren’t a symbol of the Trinity.) Regardless, the text doesn’t clarify these questions.

We do know that after the “men” head towards Sodom, Abraham remains before the LORD. And so we have this very interesting tale of Abraham bargaining with God over the fate of Sodom. The LORD decides to share with Abraham what is his intention: He will go to Sodom to see if their wickedness is as great as the outcry He has heard. Although He does not say He will destroy Sodom, the implication of swift justice is clear. And Abraham pleads for any of the righteous who may live in Sodom (such as, for example, his nephew Lot!). Abraham says that God will surely not sweep away the righteous with the wicked: after all, God is the judge of all the earth. So they agree that for the sake of 50 righteous people, God will not destroy Sodom. Abraham bargains until it is finally agreed that God will not destroy Sodom for the sake of 10 righteous people.

This whole interplay between Abraham and the LORD is worth pondering more in depth. This is why Abraham was known as God’s friend. And what we learn about God through this — that He is willing to be persuaded and that perhaps He even enjoys humans putting up a defense — is pretty remarkable. Yes, God is just. And, yes, He is merciful. But He is also holy — He will only put up with wickedness for so long. God also distinguishes between the righteous and the wicked; He does not treat them the same. And the willingness to not destroy a city or a nation on the basis of a small percentage that are righteous makes some of history much more understandable.

Our first story in Matthew chapter 9 is of Jesus healing a paralyzed man. Remarkably, Jesus starts by telling the man that his sins are forgiven. Knowing how he has shocked the teachers of the law, Jesus asks them why they are harboring “evil thoughts” in their hearts. He then asks which is more difficult — to forgive sins, or to heal a paralyzed man? And then Jesus heals the man as proof that he also has the authority to forgive sins.

I find the accusation of “evil thoughts” very interesting. The teachers of the law were thinking that Jesus was committing blasphemy. Was it their readiness to judge that made their thoughts evil? Or was it that they did not recognize who Jesus really was? I also ponder that question — which is more difficult? We know that forgiving sins is more difficult. But we are astounded and mesmerized by the physicality of healing a man who had been paralyzed. So obviously supernatural, so obviously miraculous.

We learn the story of the calling of Matthew, author of this gospel. He was a tax collector — maybe not physically a pariah like lepers were, but definitely a social pariah. He just gets up from his tax-collecting table and follows Jesus. Later, Jesus is questioned as to why he eats with tax collectors and sinners. He replies that the healthy do not need a doctor; it is Christ’s mission to call sinners. And he tells his critics to learn what Scripture means when God says, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” What do you think this means?

We have a story of Jesus raising a young girl from the dead, and another story of a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years who was healed because she believed if she could just touch his clothes, it would heal her. Jesus tells her that her faith has healed her.

We see this principle of how faith makes a huge difference in healing in the next story of the two blind men. They beg Jesus for mercy. Jesus asks them if they believe he can heal them. They say yes. And Jesus replies, “According to your faith it will be done for you.” Yikes! Does anyone else find this a little frightening? I have faith. But sometimes my faith seems like such a paltry, miserable thing. I wonder if I would have the faith for a miraculous healing of sight. Thankfully, the strength or weakness of my faith is not just up to me. I am so glad that we have the Helper!

Matthew chapter 9 concludes with Jesus telling his disciples to pray for workers for the harvest. Someone pointed out to me recently how peculiar this is. God can send workers without our prayers. So why are we directed to pray? Perhaps the answer lies in the bargaining between Abraham and God. God wants us to make the argument for workers to be sent; he wants us to want this. Considering this is one of the few times Jesus instructs his disciples to pray for something specific, our prayers for God to send workers for the harvest should be of highest importance.

In our final reading for today, Psalm 9, we have a beautiful psalm of thanksgiving and praise. David extols the name of the LORD, the one who reigns forever in righteousness. God rebukes nations and destroys the wicked. He saves David from his enemies. The LORD does not ignore the cries of the afflicted. We can trust in the LORD; He is our refuge.

What a magnificent psalm!

But there is one very curious detail. Before the psalm starts, we are told that this psalm is to be sung to the tune “The Death of the Son.” Huh? Say, what? I can’t imagine any song about the death of a child having a tune that would be as majestic and as full of thanksgiving and praise as this psalm is. Now I’m sure there’s a prosaic explanation, even if we don’t know the details of songs in David’s time. But I also think that maybe this is a reference to the death of Jesus Christ the Son. And because of Jesus and his death on the cross, we can also sing this psalm wholeheartedly.

Father God, I’m so thankful for Jesus. Thank you that he died in my place, and that because of his death, I can have victory. Because of Jesus, I can have the kind of faith that moves mountains or gives sight to the blind. I pray for you to increase my faith and to help me to obey you in all things.

I also pray for you to raise up workers for the harvest. Father God, we don’t know when the end times will arrive. But when it does come, the judgment will be swift and final. And there are so many people who need to be saved before that happens! Help me to proclaim your good news. And please send more workers. Send us a revival, Lord God! We desperately need your Spirit to move upon our land. Turn hearts back to you. Open people’s eyes to see Jesus. In his name, Amen.