February 10 ▪ Day 41

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 10:29
Isaiah 31–32
Mark 2
Psalms 41

Verse Focus (Proverbs 10:29)

The way of the LORD is a refuge for the blameless,
     but it is the ruin of those who do evil.

Meditation

Proverbs 10:29 says, in the NRSV, “The way of the LORD is a stronghold for the upright, but destruction for evildoers.” I take a lot of comfort in this verse, even though I don’t fully understand it. It’s interesting that the verse doesn’t say that God is our refuge (although we know from other Scripture that He is), but the way of the LORD is our refuge. In other words, this proverb speaks of our path in life. Seeking God, honoring His commandments, loving one another, performing justice, remembering the poor — all righteous action and godly living — this is what protects us.

What I don’t understand is how the “way of the LORD” is ruin for those who do evil. Does it ruin them because they are incapable of standing before the LORD? Or does it ruin them because it transforms them from evil into righteous? My first thought is that the “destruction” is of the evildoer him- or herself. Even if that is what is meant, I still don’t understand how God’s way will do this.

Father God, thank you that you protect us and guard us. Thank you that following your commandments and living the way Jesus taught us is a stronghold that will guard us. We ask for wisdom and understanding of your Word, through Jesus Christ, Amen.

Isaiah 31 continues with the message that an alliance with Egypt will be futile for Israel and Judah. Verse 3 says, “The Egyptians are human, and not God; their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and the one helped will fall, and they will all perish together.”

Verse 5 states plainly that “the LORD of hosts will protect Jerusalem,” while verse 8 says that “the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of mortals.” I can’t help but remember the stories in 2 Kings 19 and 2 Chronicles 32 of how God miraculously rescues Judah from the hand of Sennacherib. Amazing that Isaiah spoke the words of this prophecy nearly a quarter of a century before these events happened!

Isaiah 32 speaks of a time when justice will rule the land. There are many beautiful images in this chapter. I am haunted by the language in verse 2: “the shade of a great rock in a weary land.”

The prophet writes of complacent women, warning them of upcoming devastation — the deserted palace, the empty city, the land taken over by wild animals. It will be this way until “until a spirit from on high is poured out on us (v. 15).” And then the prophet speaks once more of this time of righteousness and peace. As the prophet describes God’s reign, he says, “The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.” These are the very things that God told the Israelites would be their salvation — previously, they refused to listen. Now, however, all will be peace.

One verse in particular stood out to me in this chapter. I don’t fully understand it, but I feel like I need to spend time meditating on this verse. It is verse 8: “But those who are noble plan noble things, and by noble things they stand.”

In Mark chapter 2 we have the story of the paralyzed man who was healed, the calling of Levi (otherwise and more recognizably known as Matthew), some questions about fasting, and thoughts on the Sabbath.

The first thing I want to point out is a little detail that a friend pointed out to me earlier this year. The text tells us that Jesus returned to Capernaum and people heard that he was “at home.” And then we get the story about how there was such a crowd that those bringing a paralyzed man to Jesus for healing could not get through to him. Instead, they dug a hole in the roof and lowered him down to Jesus on his mat. The implication here — maybe not the most significant implication, but interesting nonetheless — is that this is Jesus’ house that is having its roof removed. In some ways, this makes Jesus’ response to the situation more remarkable to me. If that were me, I’d be like, what have you done to my house??? But Jesus gets right to the essentials. He offers forgiveness of sins, and he heals the paralytic.

This whole idea of the authority of Jesus comes up again. Jesus first offers forgiveness, but when the scribes start thinking of this as blasphemy, Jesus heals the man as “proof” that he has the authority to forgive sins. The people are amazed at this healing: “We have never seen anything like this (v. 12)!”

I also think it’s interesting that Jesus’ offer of forgiveness was in response to the faith of the men who brought the paralytic man to be healed. Surely their faith was for him to be physically healed, so why does Jesus start speaking of spiritual matters? Was it simply a ploy? A way to use the healing he intended to do to establish his authority in other realms as well? Or was their faith in the bodily healing enough for Jesus to heal the paralytic in all ways?

Verses 21 and 22 are interesting. Jesus says, “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.” I understand the second verse in the pair instinctively — perhaps it’s all those years growing up in the church — but I recognize in this the idea that we are made into new creations for the Holy Spirit to fill us. But then what does the first verse mean? At first glance it seems to be advocating using old shrunken cloth to make repairs. So how does that make sense?

As I’ve been thinking about this verse today, about the unshrunk cloth that makes a worse tear, I realize the point isn’t matching an old cloth to an old coat — no, the point is that if you give something new (the unshrunk cloth), then you also need a new coat. Or a new body. Or a new creation. If you try to put the Holy Spirit into the old person you end up with a bigger divide — a bigger tear.

Of course, in the gospel of Luke when Jesus talks about the new wineskins, he concludes the story by mentioning that no one wants the new wine, because the old is better. So that just leaves me confused again. But perhaps he’s switching the metaphor for the final comment.

As Mark chapter 2 concludes, we learn that Jesus — the Son of Man — is Lord “even of the Sabbath” (v. 28). This is an astounding claim for Jesus to make. Perhaps the Pharisees don’t yet realize that Jesus is referring to himself when he speaks of the “Son of Man.” Strikingly, Jesus tells the Pharisees that “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” Sabbath observance is meant to bring us wholeness: healing and rest. It is not meant to be work — a duty — for us to fulfill.

I had to laugh when I read the inscription that the New American Standard Bible wrote for Psalm 41. “The Psalmist in Sickness Complains of Enemies and False Friends.” I suppose that’s a good enough description about today’s psalm. 🙂

Verse 9 is particularly telling: “Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.” In this betrayal that David experiences, we hear the echoes of the pain Jesus felt when he was betrayed by Judas. We also see Messianic echoes in the final two verses of the psalm: “As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and You set me in Your presence forever. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.”

Father God, thank you for how your Scripture is always pointing us to Jesus. Please help us to know you better and better through your Word. Open our eyes and give us wisdom as we read the many different types of Scripture in the Bible. Thank you for your prophecies, and for the witness that it is to us today. Thank you that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. I pray in his name, Amen.