February 12 ▪ Day 43

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 11:1
Isaiah 35–36
Mark 4
Psalms 43

Verse Focus (Proverbs 11:1)

The LORD detests dishonest scales,
     but accurate weights find favor with him.

Meditation

Proverbs 11:1 says, in the NRSV, “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is his delight.” I like the way this proverb is put in the NRSV because “abomination” is a stronger word in my mind. It helps me to really grasp how much the LORD hates dishonesty in commerce. But, of course, this proverb is not just about those who weigh and sell goods in the marketplace. It’s about honesty in all your transactions. A false balance would weigh things in favor of the seller — so that he or she might be able to give less product for the money received. It’s stealing just a little bit from everyone. Never egregiously from any one person, but taking slivers off of everyone. Making yourself rich via the accumulation of stolen pennies.

In our world today, very few of us weigh and sell goods in a market. But do you take “slivers” off the time you owe to your employer? Arriving just a few minutes late, or routinely leaving a few minutes early? How about taxes? Do you let money under the table slide, or do you report it and pay taxes on it? Even when you think about conflict, do you count the grievance as heavier than all the good things your opponent has going for them?

Father God, please help us to be honest and accurate in all our transactions and in all our relationships. Help us not to accumulate gain through small slivers of dishonest behavior. Little dishonesties like this can seem so harmless — but the size of the dishonesty does not matter to you. In fact, if we are faithful in small things, we will also be faithful with big things. Help us to always do what is right in your eyes, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Isaiah 35 is a wonderful prophecy of what it will be like when the LORD gathers his people. What was once barren will now rejoice and bloom. There will be “streams in the desert” (v. 6). Isaiah prophesies that the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf will hear, the lame will “leap like a deer” and the mute will sing for joy. This is both a Messianic prophecy — all these things were fulfilled when Jesus ministered in Galilee — as well as a prophecy for the end times, when Jesus will return.

I especially liked verse 3: “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.” This is what we are to do now, while we wait for the redemption to come. This is a call to help myself, as well as a call for me to help those around me. I have not been feeling well the past few days, so I’ve been considering this idea of how one strengthens weak hands and feeble knees. Obviously, rest is important. But so is discipline. Our muscles get stronger as we stretch them and use them. But most important of all is our reliance on the LORD. He is the one who gives us strength and who enables us to stand firm.

Verse 10 stands out to me because I know a song that was set to this Scripture. I can’t help singing it in my head. “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” What joy!

Isaiah 36 switches from prophecy into history and tells the story of when King Sennacherib of Assyria came to threaten King Hezekiah of Judah in 701 BC. This story is also told in 2 Kings 18 and 2 Chronicles 32. Judah had actually become a vassal to Assyria during the reign of King Hezekiah’s father, but now Hezekiah rebelled against them and refused to pay tribute. So the Assyrian army came and defeated all the fortified cities of Judah, and next they intend to siege against Jerusalem.

The royal spokesperson from Assyria sent a message to the king, speaking in the common language so that all the people could hear and understand what he had to say. He ridiculed them for thinking they might be able to rely on the LORD for help, saying in verse 7, “Is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed?” This, of course, was a misunderstanding on the part of the royal spokesperson — Hezekiah had brought reform to Judah and had gotten rid of the idol worship that was happening in the high places.

The royal spokesperson went even further, claiming that the LORD had sent him to destroy Judah. Of course, the LORD had used Assyria to punish Israel some 20 years earlier, but the Assyrian royal spokesperson was not a true prophet. In verses 16 and 17, the spokesperson offers peace to the common people. It sounds similar to the idea of the Promised Land — everyone will eat from their own vine and fig tree — at least until Assyria sends them away to a different land. The spokesperson goes on to cite all the gods of other kingdoms that failed to save their people from Assyria. In verse 20 he asks, “Who among all the gods of these countries have saved their countries out of my hand, that the LORD should save Jerusalem out of my hand?” But the people do not answer.

In Mark chapter 4, we hear several parables again, and we hear the story of the Jesus commanding the storm. First is the parable of the sower. Again, we hear that Jesus speaks in parables as a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah. It is a means by which the people will see but not perceive, and hear but not understand. Before Jesus explains the meaning of the parable of the sower to his disciples, he asks them if they understand the parable of the sower (v. 13). And if they do not understand this parable — Jesus asks them, “Then how will you understand all the parables?”

The Holy Spirit highlighted this question to me as I read Mark chapter 4. “Then how will you understand all the parables?” The parable of the sower is a story about faith and the kingdom of God. If we do not understand that the parables teach us of salvation, God’s mystery will remain hidden to us. In some respects, I feel like this one parable — the parable of the sower — is a microcosm of all the parables. If we understand this one, we will understand all of Jesus’ parables.

Verse 19 also struck me. The seed among thorns is that seed where “the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing.” This is where I fear most Christians are. Choked and unfruitful. Another translation says “the deceitfulness of wealth.” With my relatively new understanding that the different types of soil describe the journey of faith, the question becomes, how do we move beyond the thorns to make our soil good soil? The seed has been planted and we’ve already developed some roots. How do we avoid being overwhelmed by the cares of this world? How do we resist the lure of wealth? Only by the grace of God. I pray that God will give me the desire for His kingdom and that He will make me fruitful for Him.

Verse 24 also struck me. “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you.” It’s a little frightening to think that we will only receive according to how generous we are. God wants us to be givers. And although I think I’m much better in this area than I used to be, I’ve still got a very long way to go. This lesson of generosity is one that the Holy Spirit has been highlighting to me over and over again this past year. How to become more intentional about generosity is something that I continue to struggle with. I suspect the Holy Spirit will continue to highlight this topic for me until generosity becomes an automatic and natural response.

In the final story of the chapter where Jesus stills the storm on the Sea of Galilee, I paid attention to the “small print” in verse 36. It said, “Other boats were with him.” Think about that for a moment. I always thought about the main action: Jesus asleep on the boat, the disciples shaking him awake, accusing him of not caring whether they lived or died. And Jesus first calms the storm, and then he speaks to the disciples, asking them why they were afraid. But what if you were in one of these other boats? You’re following Jesus and his disciples. It’s crazy, but you feel like you have to follow him. And then there’s this huge, terrible storm. You fear for your life. It almost seems like a judgment from God — proof that what you’ve been doing is foolhardy and crazy. And then you see Jesus — he is speaking not to the disciples but to the wind and the waves. And all is suddenly still. Whoa!

Psalm 43 is a companion piece to Psalm 42. I used to wonder if the two psalms were formerly one psalm and they somehow got split apart. But Psalm 43 is a bit different than Psalm 42. Psalm 42 seems to be more about depression in daily life, whereas Psalm 43 is clearly a case where the psalmist is fighting against a specific enemy. His first cry is for the LORD to “Vindicate me!” Instead of asking why God has forgotten him in the face of an enemy (as in Psalm 42:9), the psalmist asks why God has cast him off (Psalm 43:2). He prays for God’s light and truth to “lead me” (v. 3). The psalm concludes with the exhortation to hope in God:

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.

Father God, I do place my hope in you. I know that I have reason to praise you now, and I will have even more reason to praise you in the future. Thank you that you are my help. No matter why my soul might be cast down, let me be encouraged by your Spirit and by your Word. Please help me to truly listen to what you say. Enable me to be giving and generous. Let me be fruitful for your kingdom. I look forward to the day when all the redeemed of the LORD will return to Zion. I pray in the name of your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.