Why it Matters - Vengeance

Readings for today: 1 Samuel 25-27, Psalms 17, 73

Revenge is a powerful motivator. It is fueled by rage and a deep sense of injustice. It is the primal human response whenever we feel wronged or hurt or betrayed. Something deep inside us demands a response. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth or something even more disproportionate. We want the perpetrator to experience what we’ve experienced and to feel what we feel. We want them to taste the pain we have suffered. We want them to be punished for their crimes against us. Tragically, vengeance has created cycles of violence that have consumed families, clans, tribes, and even nations. Millions have perished as a result. Millions more suffer incredible pain and grief and loss. There is no end to it because violence simply begets more violence. Vengeance is never truly satisfied. And perhaps that’s why the Lord says, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” He knows how deep this propensity runs within us and He knows it can never be truly satisfied.

King David felt this impulse. When rebuffed by Nabal, he is quick to respond with violence. He feels wronged so he straps on a sword and marches out to kill Nabal and all his men. But for the intercession of Abigail, David would have committed a grave sin. “The Lord has kept his servant from doing evil, and he has repaid Nabal for his evil deeds.” (1 Samuel‬ ‭25‬:‭39‬ ‭NET‬‬) Taking vengeance into his own hands, he would prove himself to be no different than Saul. Thankfully, David was saved by Abigail’s quick and courageous response and it taught him a lesson that he soon employed when given the opportunity to take Saul’s life once again. David learned to leave vengeance to God. Let Him execute His justice in His time. Nabal suffers a stroke and dies. Saul eventually is killed in battle. David’s hands and heart remain clean. I love how Asaph reflects on this dynamic in his Psalm. His words are worth reading again in their entirety.

“Certainly God is good to Israel, and to those whose motives are pure! But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my feet almost slid out from under me. For I envied those who are proud, as I observed the prosperity of the wicked. For they suffer no pain; their bodies are strong and well-fed. They are immune to the trouble common to men; they do not suffer as other men do. Arrogance is their necklace, and violence their clothing. Their prosperity causes them to do wrong; their thoughts are sinful. They mock and say evil things; they proudly threaten violence. They speak as if they rule in heaven, and lay claim to the earth. Therefore they have more than enough food to eat, and even suck up the water of the sea. They say, “How does God know what we do? Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?” Take a good look! This is what the wicked are like, those who always have it so easy and get richer and richer. I concluded, “Surely in vain I have kept my motives pure and maintained a pure lifestyle. I suffer all day long, and am punished every morning.” If I had publicized these thoughts, I would have betrayed your loyal followers. When I tried to make sense of this, it was troubling to me. Then I entered the precincts of God’s temple, and understood the destiny of the wicked. Surely you put them in slippery places; you bring them down to ruin. How desolate they become in a mere moment! Terrifying judgments make their demise complete! They are like a dream after one wakes up. O Lord, when you awake you will despise them. Yes, my spirit was bitter, and my insides felt sharp pain. I was ignorant and lacked insight; I was as senseless as an animal before you. But I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me by your wise advice, and then you will lead me to a position of honor. Whom do I have in heaven but you? I desire no one but you on earth. My flesh and my heart may grow weak, but God always protects my heart and gives me stability. Yes, look! Those far from you die; you destroy everyone who is unfaithful to you. But as for me, God’s presence is all I need. I have made the sovereign Lord my shelter, as I declare all the things you have done.” (Psalms‬ ‭73‬:‭1‬-‭28‬ ‭NET‬‬)

Where have you been tempted to take revenge? Perhaps you felt insulted by a co-worker? Hurt by a harsh word by someone you love? Unjustly accused for something you did not do? Personally attacked? Maybe you’ve experienced discrimination over your ethnicity or gender? Maybe you’ve been dismissed due to your lack of education or economic or social status? Maybe someone has physically and violently assaulted you? Perhaps even taken the life of someone you love? Rather than allow yourself to become consumed with the desire for vengeance, turn those feelings over to God. Trust Him to make it right. Let Him set you free from the anger and bitterness and guilt and a hyper-fixation on past harms.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 35, 54, 63, 18

Intercession

Readings for today: Ezekiel 21-24

One of the commitments I made to the Lord when I became a pastor was to become an intercessor for the people I served. Someone who would stand in the gap for them in prayer. Someone who would lift them up before the Lord. Someone who would present their needs to God and ask for provision. Someone who would present their hurts to God and ask for healing. Someone who would call on God continually to fill them with His Spirit, sanctify them with His presence, and send them in His power to proclaim the gospel to the world. I am the first to admit this hasn’t always been easy. As a pastor I get pulled in a lot of different directions. It’s all too easy to substitute a whole bunch of activity for the discipline of prayer. Furthermore, the community I served has grown. It takes me about a month to pray through our directory. But I try to do it faithfully and regularly because I believe in the power of prayer. And I believe God is looking for people to stand in the gap in prayer for His people and for the world.

Perhaps that’s why I love this line from our reading today. “I searched for a man among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land so that I might not destroy it, but I found no one.” (‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭22‬:‭30‬ ‭CSB‬‬) It’s a sobering reminder to me of the importance of prayer. The importance of intercession. The importance of putting oneself at risk for the sake of the community and call on God for protection. In the ancient world, the most dangerous place to be was at the point where a wall had been breached. This is where your enemies would mass to invade your city. Those caught in these places would be in harm’s way. Their lives would be at great risk. Their chances of survival were slim. And yet, it was also where they were most needed. If a wall broke down, the only hope a city had was the brave soldiers who would rush in to fill the gap and protect the lives of those they served.

The tragic reality of our readings from Ezekiel is that Israel’s leaders had abandoned their posts. Spiritual breach after spiritual breach had occurred as they forsook the faith of their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As they abandoned the covenant God had made with them. And no one was left to stand in the gap. There was no Moses to intercede on behalf of God’s people, calling on God to spare them from destruction. What about us? What about our homes? Our families? Our churches? Our communities? Have we abandoned our posts in a similar fashion or are we willing to take our stand in the gap and intercede on behalf of those we love and serve before the Lord?

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 25-28

Power of Intercession

Readings for today: Exodus 29-32

Yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday in America. An annual event that draws millions. Watching the game may be the one thing most Americans have in common. However, even the common passion we share for the game of football is not enough to overcome the sharp divisions that plague our nation. Rather than enjoy watching some of the world’s most incredible athletes play at the highest level, we critique and complain. We don’t like the other team. We don’t like the coach or a particular player. It doesn’t matter that we’ve literally never met them. We don’t like the pre-game festivities. We don’t like the half time show. We don’t like the commercials. Even the Jesus one gets torn apart. Everyone and everything gets viewed through a binary, overly simplistic lens. And this is all just scratching the surface of what’s really happening down deep.

Israel wasn’t much different. She complained all the time. Criticized Moses and his leadership repeatedly. Every time things got difficult, she thought about turning back to Egypt. Can you imagine willingly re-submitting yourself to slavery? Craziness! She was impatient. She was easily frustrated. She constantly turned from God to idolatry. Mutiny and rebellion were always lurking below the surface. Is it any surprise then that God thought about wiping them out and starting over? In fact, there are times I wonder if God has the same feelings for us!

Thankfully, I know the answer. He does not. How can I be so sure? Because we have an intercessor greater even than Moses who stands in the throne room of heaven constantly advocating on our behalf. Whereas Moses called on God to remember His faithfulness and protect His own glory and reputation by sparing Israel, Jesus calls on His Heavenly Father to remember His great love for us and the sacrifice He made on our behalf to save us from our sins. When God looks down on us, it is through the eyes of His Eternal Son who gave His life for us. No other intercession is needed.

At the same time, we are invited to serve as intercessors as well. We are encouraged to pray for each other, pray for our loved ones, pray for our neighbors, pray for those with whom we disagree, pray for those who may even be our enemies and ask for God to intervene in their lives. Imagine what could happen if we channeled all the energy we spend complaining and criticizing into intercessory prayer? Perhaps the Lord would relent from His righteous judgment, forgive our sins, and heal our land?

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 33-36

Standing in the Gap

Readings for today: Ezekiel 22-24, Psalms 37

“I searched for a person among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land so that I might not destroy it, but I found no one.” (Ezekiel‬ ‭22‬:‭30‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

These words jumped off the page today. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been praying more fervently for our nation recently or perhaps it’s because my heart has been burdened for all the violence that exists in our world today in places like Gaza and Ukraine. Perhaps it’s because I am heading to South Sudan in a few weeks, into a community where starvation and malnutrition is rampant. Perhaps it’s because I’ve spoken to many over the last few months who feel so hopeless and helpless. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been reading the New York Times and Wall Street Journal almost every day. Whatever it is, I find myself crying out to God over all that is happening in the world today and this verse is Lord’s answer to me. God is searching for people who will work for the repair of the world and stand in the vulnerable places on behalf of the weak and oppressed and least resourced and least reached so that God’s judgment will be turned aside. God is searching for intercessors like Moses and Joshua and David and Deborah and Samuel and Ezekiel. People who will faithfully pray on behalf of those who cannot for some reason. Faithfully pray for those who are struggling and afraid. Faithfully pray for those who are far from God. Faithfully pray for those in positions of authority and influence in our world.

Friends, this is the role of the church. Jesus calls us the “salt of the earth.” Salt, in ancient times, acted as a preservative. It would dissolve into meat in order to keep it from spoiling. It would be used to keep things from becoming rotten. The church is called to do the same. To intercede regularly and often on behalf of the world to keep it from becoming rotten. To keep it from spoiling completely. To keep it from being destroyed by the righteous judgment of God. But far too often, the church is complicit in furthering the rot. The church blesses sin rather than confronts it. The church indulges sin rather than call it out. The church makes no distinction - just like Israel’s priests made no distinction - between that which is holy and that which is common. That which is sacred and that which is profane. And the world is suffering as a result. God calls His church a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God’s own possession.” (1 Peter 2:9) What is the role of the priest? To stand in the gap between God and His people and intercede for them. Make atonement for them. Cry out to God on their behalf. At the same time, our role is to represent God to the people. To instruct them. Confront them. Challenge them. Encourage them. To teach and train them in righteousness.

The only hope for our communities, our cities, our nation, and our world is for the church to fulfill her high calling. She must dedicate herself to the repair of the world and stand in the gap in fervent, regular, faithful prayer on behalf of the land so that it will not be destroyed. She must engage in the honest work of self-examination, confess her own sins, and allow the Spirit to cleanse her of all unrighteousness so that she can discern between that which is holy and that which is common and lift up the sacred over the profane. God’s righteous judgment must begin at the church house before it can move to the White House or the court house or the legislative house.

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 25-27, Psalms 38

Intercession

Readings for today: Exodus 28-29, Psalm 26

I remember my ordination service. It was nothing like what we read about today thankfully! ;-) No sacrifices. No special anointing oils. No incense. No elaborate dress. I was 29 at the time. I stood before my colleagues in the Presbytery of South Alabama and took vows to serve the Lord and God’s people with all my heart and all my strength. When I read these verses about the ordination of Aaron and his sons, it feels strange. The cultural distance between our time and ancient Israel is vast. I struggle to connect or even picture all the rituals and sacrifices. However, there is one thing I do understand. Every time Aaron entered into the presence of the Lord, he carried the names of Israel with him. His job was to keep their names ever present before God. He interceded for them. He understood their needs, wants, and desires and brought those to God. His job was to represent the people to God and God to the people. “Fasten both stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites. Aaron will carry their names on his two shoulders before the Lord as a reminder…Whenever he enters the sanctuary, Aaron is to carry the names of Israel’s sons over his heart on the breastpiece for decisions, as a continual reminder before the Lord.” (Exodus‬ ‭28‬:‭12‬, ‭29‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

I feel very much the same way. I don’t have gold breastpieces or gemstones or anything else to carry with me when I enter God’s presence but I do take the time and make the time to intercede for God’s people. I meet with lots of folks on a regular basis so I can understand their needs, wants, and desires and bring those before the Lord. I represent the people I am called to serve to God and God to the people. However, this calling is not just for pastors. It’s for every believer. We are a royal priesthood according to 1 Peter. Each of us is called to act in a priestly fashion and intercede for our families, friends, churches, communities, nation, world. We are called to bring the names of those we love and even those we hate before the Lord to ask for His grace and mercy on their behalf. We are to bring their needs, wants, and desires and submit them to God. We are to represent them to God and represent God to the people.

It’s a sacred responsibility and a precious one. To think that God knows each of us by name. He wants to hear about our lives. He wants to know all we think, say, or do. Not to curse us but to bless us. Not so much to judge us - though there is some of that - but to love us. Not to tear us down but to raise us up. Not to ruin us but to restore us. This is God’s will for us and why He calls each of us to a ministry of intercession.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 30-31, Psalm 27