Solomon's Chiastic Structure and Psalm 127

Father's Day 2025 is a special one for me, because my wife is pregnant with our firstborn child, so it is my first father's day as a father!  For reasons that still remain unclear to me, my pastor asked me to speak at our church on Father's Day Sunday.  Initially, I didn't have much to say about Father's Day and was going to teach a lesson that I had already put together about something else.  But the night before, I was really struggling to figure out how to present that lesson.  My wife suggested I spend some time in prayer (which is always wise, and should usually come first) and as I prayed I felt the Lord giving me liberty to go in a different direction in light of some of the things I have been thinking about as I prepare to be a father.  

Here's the YouTube video with the message, if you would like to listen to the message I gave:

In that message, I also discuss the chiastic nature of the story of Solomon.  I figured I would include that graphic here, in case someone wanted to see a visual representation of it.

Conquering Ai

Don't get excited--this isn't a post about dealing with the looming specter of Artificial Intelligence (I'm sure that would be a good topic--I just don't know enough about it to discuss it intelligently...unless perhaps I used artificial intelligence...which would have cut this rambling parenthesis...anyways...), rather this post is about city in the book of Joshua, Ai.

Recently, someone asked my pastor and I to go pray at their home because they were experiencing demonic activity.  As I was praying on my way over, I felt the Lord impress into my spirit that if they really wanted the evil spirits to leave, they needed to close the doors the evil spirits were coming through by dealing with any sin and addiction.  The Lord moved in a powerful way as we prayed and discussed, and I started thinking about how people can attain spiritual victory in their lives.

When Jesus died on the cross, he spoiled all principalities and powers and obtained the promises of God for us who join him as coheirs in his inheritance.  His children who are born again into his family receive the benefits of his victory.  This is great news, but sometimes we get the wrong idea about this and wonder why we still don't have victory when theoretically we should.  One of the best illustrations for me comes from the book of Joshua.

God gave the children of Israel the promise of the land, but they still had to fight to obtain the promise.  I spoke on this recently in the adult class at our church, using the first couple of battles in the book of Joshua as a teaching metaphor.  If you want to watch or listen to that teaching, click here, or on the video below.

I believe we are called to have victory in our lives.  What kinds of battles do we fight that we need to have victory in?  When I look at the Old Testament, I see the battles and the conquests that happen as a metaphor for us overcoming things in our lives.  Think about this…we have been given promises as Christians.  What kind of promises?

• Victory over sin
• The Holy Ghost
• Power in the Spirit

The Israelites were given the promise of the Promised Land–but how did they get that land?  They had to fight for it.  I want to meditate on this for a few minutes.  Look at some of the promises that were given to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy, and think about how this compares to the promises given to us in our lives as Christians…

Deuteronomy 7:12  Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: 

Deuteronomy 7:13  And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 

Deuteronomy 7:14  Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. 

Deuteronomy 7:15  And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee. 

Deuteronomy 7:16  And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee. 

Now, notice that these promises are conditional, and the condition is that they listen to and keep the LORD’s judgments, and there’s a warning at the end that the gods of the people could become a snare to them, but look at the promises that are given!  The covenant and mercy of Yahweh! His love and blessings! Blessings for their children and finances and health!  That’s good stuff!  And we’ve been given some promises too!

2nd Peter 1:1  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 

2nd Peter 1:2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 

2nd Peter 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 

2nd Peter 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

Those are some powerful promises too!  They were going to multiply in children and sheep and corn and wine, but we are going to multiply in grace and peace! He has given us everything we need that pertains to life and godliness and has called us to glory and virtue!  He has given us exceeding great and precious promises, and these promises will enable us to partake in His divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust!

But when we think about what God has called us to, and then we look in the mirror, it can be discouraging.  We want the promises, but we can see the gap between what we’re supposed to be and what we are, and it can get us down.  We have devils fighting us that we HAVE to overcome to be what God wants, but it seems insurmountable.  Can anyone relate to that?  You know who else could relate to that feeling?  The Israelites!  Great promises of what will happen once they obtain the Promised Land, but there’s a problem…there are fortified cities and enemies that have to be overcome in order to conquer that land!

Deuteronomy 7:17  If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them? 

Deuteronomy 7:18  Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt; 

Deuteronomy 7:19  The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out: so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid. 

So if we start feeling like our sins or bad habits or circumstances that get in the way of God’s will are mightier than we are and we will never be able to overcome them, here’s the first thing we have to do: remember what God has already done.  He had already brought them out of Egypt, and it wasn’t by their own might.   Similarly, when we are trying to overcome things, remember what God has already delivered you from!  And remember how He did—by His own power and might, right?

Galatians 3:2  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 

Galatians 3:3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 

That’s encouragement #1.  But there’s more!

Deuteronomy 7:20  Moreover the LORD thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed. 

Deuteronomy 7:21  Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible. 

Here’s encouragement #2: God is preparing the way ahead of you!  There are still battles you’re going to have to fight, but God has been there ahead of you, and He’s with you now!  And He’s powerful!  In other words, there will be some people that stay in the land, hiding from you that you are going to have to deal with, but God is actually sending hornets to clear the way for you before you even get there, and He is with you in these battles all the way.  But let’s get practical.  Because God COULD just wipe them out before the Israelites ever get there, but He chooses not to do that.  Why?  He tells us!

Deuteronomy 7:22  And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee. 

Deuteronomy 7:23  But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed. 

He doesn’t remove all the enemies from the land instantly, because the Israelites wouldn’t be able to handle the entire land of promise if they just walked into it.  And guess what?  We couldn’t handle all the promises of God if He just instantly gave them to us without any struggle either.  God allows some enemies to remain in our lives that we have to fight against and struggle with because we wouldn’t be able to handle all the promises without that struggle.  But He DOES expect us to fully obtain the promises!  Don’t get discouraged that it hasn’t happened all at once, but also it’s important that you don’t get TOO comfortable with the enemies and the habits and the sins that we’re struggling with because God DOES want us to progress and take our inheritance!

Deuteronomy 7:24  And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them. 

Deuteronomy 7:25  The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God. 

Deuteronomy 7:26  Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing. 

The kings that currently have dominion are going to be delivered into your hand and their name and reputation and authority blotted out from under heaven and we are to remove every vestige of the demonic control that was over the land before God gave it to you and put it under your authority.  We are to take total dominion.  So this got me thinking about the beginning of Joshua when they go into the land and the first couple of cities they defeat, and how they do it so that we can glean some lessons from our own lives.  It would be cool to do a whole in depth study of Joshua from this perspective–the conquest of Canaan parallel to our inheriting of the promises, but for this lesson, let’s just look at the first couple of cities to see how they defeat them and what we can learn from it.  So this is after they are officially out of the wilderness, they have crossed over the Jordan River, passed through the waters, been baptized if you will, renewed the covenant by getting circumcised when they cross over the waters, and now they have to face their first major foe in the land…the city of Jericho!

Joshua 5:13  And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? 

Joshua 5:14  And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? 

Joshua 5:15  And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so. 

Joshua 6:1  Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 

Joshua 6:2  And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 

Joshua 6:3  And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 

Joshua 6:4  And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 

Joshua 6:5  And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. 

So the first thing that happens before any battle is attempted is that Joshua gets a direct word from God Himself who is the Ultimate Commander!  Notice what He said when Joshua asked whose side He was on?  No, I’m the captain of the LORD’s hosts.  God is the same, and true.  We are the ones who are either on His side or not–He’s not on our side, we need to be on His.

During the Civil War, one of President Lincoln’s advisors said he was grateful God was on the Union’s side. Lincoln told him, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”

It all depends on whether we listen to Him or not.  What does this direct command have to do with conquering the city?  In practical terms how will this help them?  It doesn’t seem to have any correlation.  But this is about obeying God’s Word whether we understand it or not.  So what is the principle we can derive from this?

Some obstacles, some enemies will be conquered simply by doing what God says consistently, whether or not it seems like it directly relates to the issue we’re facing or not.  What does raising your hands in worship have to do with overcoming a pornography addiction?  How will paying your tithes help you to stop smoking?  How does consistently going to church help you get out of debt?  How does giving to the poor restore your relationship with your estranged children?  These things may not seem to have anything to do with each other, but consistently obeying God’s direct commands can actually help us defeat even the worst and strongest enemies.  

I always think about this when I go to the doctor and when they are trying to determine how at risk I am for things, they go down the list of, “Do you smoke? Do you drink? Do you have illicit sex?”  And it feel so good to be able to say no to each of those things because I know it’s making me healthier, but I didn’t make those decisions so that I could answer that questionnaire at the doctor’s office to be healthier–I avoided those issues because I’m living for God and obeying Him, and the health is a great side benefit!  It’s true with many things.

Think about what God asks the children of Israel to do to conquer Jericho.

Joshua 6:6  And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD. 

They are to take the ark, the symbol of God’s presence, and the symbol of the covenant. What is our ark of the covenant?  The Holy Ghost–it is both God’s literal presence and the sign of the covenant!  They are to take trumpets of ram’s horns…worship.  God, I love Your presence and Your covenant and Your worship, but I’m a little distracted by all the heavy things going on in my life, and I don’t see how this will help.  Well, you might be surprised.

Joshua 6:10  And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout. 

Joshua 6:11  So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. 

This is the end of the first day.  They quietly did what God told them to do, but nothing changed.  And that may be the case for you tomorrow.  You may quietly do what God asked, go home, and nothing has changed.  But what about the next day?

Joshua 6:12  And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 

Joshua 6:13  And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. 

Joshua 6:14  And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. 

This is what we call “consistency.”  Doing the same thing, day after day, just because God said to do it even though you see no change.  Think about Naaman the leper.  There’s a parallel with this story.  How many times did he have to dip in the Jordan?  Over and over until something changed.  The children of Israel are marching around the wall, day after day, throughout the week, doing the same thing, and nothing is different for six days.  What if you go through this whole next week doing what God says and nothing changes?  Do you throw in the towel and get frustrated?  No.  You get up the next morning and come to church to praise the Lord.

Joshua 6:15  And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. 

Joshua 6:16  And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city. 

I don’t know about you, but I’ve noticed that if I pray consistently throughout the week, even if I’m not breaking through the vail and feeling the presence of God and I’m tired and it doesn’t seem like I’m accomplishing anything…if I still pray every day consistently, Sunday service is often amazing, compared to weeks when I am not consistent in prayer.  If I read the Bible consistently, even though I don’t understand everything, when I’m in the middle of a conversation trying to witness or we’re having a Bible study, all those verses I was reading and not getting anything out of suddenly start flooding back to my mind, and as I listen to a powerful camp meeting sermon, everything starts to fit together and I start getting all this revelation and the power of God falls!  But the consistency comes before the final big push and the shout of victory!  But there’s also a warning…

Joshua 6:17  And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 

Joshua 6:18  And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 

Joshua 6:19  But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. 

Joshua gives them this warning, because sometimes the time we slip up the most is right after a victory when we are feeling confident and victorious and that’s when Satan slips in out of nowhere with a temptation, or an old friend shows up or whatever.  Rahab the harlot gets to live because she repented and expressed faith in God.  She’s the only good thing coming out of the city of destruction.  Everything else you need to leave alone and have nothing to do with after your victory.  Don’t get cocky and think you can hang on to relationships and objects that are directly associated with your failures and bondage unless there’s a genuine heart-change and repentance like Rahab had.

Joshua 6:20  So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 

Joshua 6:21  And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. 

Joshua 6:22  But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. 

Joshua 6:23  And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel. 

Joshua 6:24  And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. 

Joshua 6:25  And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. 

Joshua 6:26  And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it. 

Joshua 6:27  So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country. 

Give God all the plunder, but don’t try to redeem or rebuild things out of the city that God gave you to conquer because you’ll end up losing your family in the midst of trying to rebuild what God has destroyed in your life.  Don’t reserve for yourself a glass of wine or a beer with friends if God has given you the victory over being an alcoholic.  Don’t reserve for yourself that girl’s number or keep her as a Facebook friend if God delivered you from a destructive relationship.  Don’t reserve one credit card for yourself if God delivered you from a shopping addiction that took you into tens of thousands of dollars of debt.

Galatians 2:17  But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 

Galatians 2:18  For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 

Galatians 2:19  For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 

Galatians 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

There’s a very sobering warning in this story for those who want to keep just a little part of Jericho for themselves.

Joshua 7:1  But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel. 

Joshua 7:2  And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. 

Joshua 7:3  And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. 

Joshua feels very confident because Ai is actually a smaller city than Jericho so it should be easier to defeat!  But there’s a funny truth that we have to grapple with that sometimes it’s the smaller sins that are harder to tackle than the big, obvious ones.

Joshua 7:4  So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. 

Joshua 7:5  And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. 

Joshua 7:6  And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. 

Joshua 7:7  And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! 

Joshua 7:8  O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! 

Joshua 7:9  For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name? 

Has anyone else been here?  A great victory has been won, but then what should have been an easy victory is lost, and now all of a sudden it seems like the ground that WAS gained is meaningless and that God has left you and you’re starting over from ground zero.  It feels like you never should have even attempted to try to take God’s promises in the first place.  But look what God says to Joshua–this cracks me up.  But only because I’ve been there and God has had to say stuff like this to me.

Joshua 7:10  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 

Joshua 7:11  Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 

Joshua 7:12  Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. 

Joshua 7:13  Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. 

This isn’t popular, but we HAVE to be sanctified.  It’s not that God doesn’t love us–it’s that He cannot give us more victory until we’ve dealt with the sin that we’re hiding under our tent.  He loves us too much to get away with that. A lot of people wonder why they can’t receive the promise of the Holy Ghost…but a lot of people also have stuff hidden under their tent that they haven’t confessed before the Lord.

So they go through this whole process and finally discover that Achan (whose name means “trouble” just fyi) is the one that did it.  Look at what happens next.

Joshua 7:18  And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 

Joshua 7:19  And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. 

Joshua 7:20  And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 

Joshua 7:21  When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. 

Joshua 7:22  So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. 

Joshua 7:23  And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. 

Joshua 7:24  And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 

Joshua 7:25  And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. 

Joshua 7:26  And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day. 

Obviously, this isn’t God’s desire.  He wants to save and redeem.  The prophet Hosea references this story and look what he says about it:

Hosea 2:14  Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. 

Hosea 2:15  And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

The valley of Achor is the valley of trouble where Achan was exposed…but God wants to replace that with a door of hope!  Get this–the word for hope is tikvah–which also means cord or rope, and it’s the exact same word used for the scarlet line that Rahab was supposed to hang out the window as the sign that she trusted God and had not exposed the spies in Joshua 2:18. (Like the blood of the lamb at Passover!  As long as she stayed in the house she had the hope of salvation!)

Joshua 2:18  Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee. 

Joshua 2:19  And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him. 

Joshua 2:20  And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear. 

Joshua 2:21  And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window. 

God wants to replace our Achan story with a Rahab story.  But compare and contrast Rahab and her family for a second with Achan and his family.  Rahab hid the spies, and by doing that allied herself with God’s people, even though she was from Jericho, and by this saved her family.  Achan hid the plunder stolen from Jericho, and by doing that, allied himself with the people of Jericho, even though he was from God’s people, and by doing this destroyed his family.  Where are our allegiances going to lie?  With this world or with the people of God?

Joshua 8:1  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land: 

Joshua 8:2  And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it. 

If Achan could have waited, he would have gotten to a city where they were allowed to take the spoil, but he followed the lust of his eyes instead and took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for himself.  But notice something else…they are to treat Ai and her king the same way they did Jericho and her king…so the outcome of victory will be the same, but God tells Joshua to go about it a different way.  This is significant.  Because sometimes we don’t win the victory just by doing what God says…sometimes there are more stubborn obstacles and enemies and habits and addictions that we have to lay an ambush for.  Let’s see what happens.

Joshua 8:3  So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night. 

Joshua 8:4  And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready: 

Joshua 8:5  And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them, 

Joshua 8:6  (For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them. 

Joshua 8:7  Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand. 

Joshua 8:8  And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you. 

Look at this: this time they have a whole strategy!  And though God told him to do it, Joshua had to come up with the details himself, and this isn’t necessarily a supernatural thing, though, of course, it actually still is because God is still the one either giving them victory or not, but God is giving them the victory in a different way this time.  The walls of this city aren’t just falling down flat–they have to do this whole ambush thing.  Why?

Joshua 8:9  Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people. 

Joshua 8:10  And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 

Joshua 8:11  And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai. 

Joshua 8:12  And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. 

Joshua 8:13  And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley. 

Joshua 8:14  And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city. 

Joshua 8:15  And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. 

Joshua 8:16  And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. 

Joshua 8:17  And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel. 

Joshua 8:18  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city. 

Joshua 8:19  And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire. 

Joshua 8:20  And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. 

Joshua 8:21  And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai. 

Joshua 8:22  And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape. 

Joshua 8:23  And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua. 

Joshua 8:24  And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword. 

Joshua 8:25  And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai. 

Joshua 8:26  For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 

Joshua 8:27  Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua. 

Joshua 8:28  And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day. 

Joshua 8:29  And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day. 

I know that was a long reading, but look at what happened here.  This time, God gave them a strategy for the victory.  And here’s the truth about our battles…sometimes we need a strategy to trick our flesh and trick the enemy into being subjected to the cross.  Sometimes God knocks the walls down when we praise Him and we can just waltz right in and take the victory!  But sometimes we need a strategy against our flesh.  This isn’t the only time this happened in Scripture!

2nd Samuel 5:17  But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold. 

2nd Samuel 5:18  The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 

2nd Samuel 5:19  And David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand. 

2nd Samuel 5:20  And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them there, and said, The LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim. 

2nd Samuel 5:21  And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them. 

2nd Samuel 5:22  And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 

2nd Samuel 5:23  And when David enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. 

2nd Samuel 5:24  And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines. 

2nd Samuel 5:25  And David did so, as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer. 

Why didn’t God just give David the victory the exact same way both times?  The end result was the same!  I don’t know–but it’s a good thing David asked God again, huh?  Instead of just assuming he could do it the same way and that God would rubber stamp his victory?  Here’s the thing.  When an enemy returns after God gave us victory, sometimes we need a heavenly, divine strategy.  I don’t know what your specific issue is but let this whole lesson serve as a plug for the Recovery Group on Friday nights.  If you’re struggling with a persistent sin, or habit, or addiction, or hangup, or hurt, or broken relationship–THAT is where you can go and get your strategies for overcoming.  Seek and enquire of the Lord, and then allow Him to speak to you, both in your own prayer closet, but also through your brothers and sisters, through counseling with a man or woman of God, through Sunday morning adult class or Wednesday night Bible study. Have hope!  God wants to give you victory and the goal is that we will conquer the entire Promised Land!

Insight from the Hebrew Words for Sin and Scripture

 Recently, I spoke at our church on "The Path of the Just."

After the message, several people asked me for my notes, specifically for the charts I showed about the Hebrew words for sin, and the Hebrew words for the several different ways Psalm 119 talks about the "Word of God."  My lovely bride, Allison Schroeder, made the charts for me, and I would like to share them with you.  Obviously the understanding of the different words isn't original with me, but I did dig in and try to understand the thoughts behind the words for myself with my very limited understanding.  I do not speak or read Hebrew, but I want to learn more all the time.  Click the video above to watch my teaching on it, and for those interested, find below some notes and the pictures of the charts I used!

The Path of the Just

Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

We tend to think of “being saved” in a very binary way. Sometimes I’ll start a conversation about the Bible with someone and they cut me off by saying, “Oh, I’m already saved.” As if they don’t ever need to hear about the Bible again. Thinking about salvation this way CAN be a helpful binary in some ways, but in other ways, it can get in our way. Using this binary, we can immediately sort people into groups of whether they are saved or unsaved. The problem is that depending on how you lean, you may want to raise or lower the threshold that puts someone in the “saved” group. Now, to be clear, I do believe there is some truth to the saved/unsaved binary. I believe there IS a point of time when we are saved, when we have passed from darkness to light, when we are born again. And we can point back to that point when we were born again and be confident that we are justified and have joined God’s family.

However, if we think of it as a task that we have completed and now are saved without reservation, I am not okay with it. Unfortunately, saying, “I’m saved” for some people can be a way to wiggle out of any further growth and discipleship. The Bible actually talks about being “saved” as a past, present, and future reality.

Instead, it may be good to think about salvation in terms of our relationship with God and our walk with Him. When a baby is born, there is an expectation that they will continue to grow and mature, and if they don’t there’s a problem. The same is true when we are born again. See, it’s not just about being born–it’s about LIFE! Yes, life starts when we’re born, but then are we going to continue growing to have a healthy and happy life? Once a baby is born, if it doesn’t develop properly, it will die. Same with being born again. Once a prisoner is set free and forgiven, if a change in life doesn’t happen, they will end up in bondage again.

Sometimes we need to be reminded of our calling. And sometimes we have to lay down the automatic defensiveness we get whenever we are challenged to grow because we already believe we are saved. Maybe God doesn’t just want you to only defend your title of salvation, but rather grow into the calling He has for you to be everything He has called us as the church to be in this world and to prepare for the next!

So how do we grow in this way? What if we thought of our salvation more as a path we are either walking or not walking rather than a status or an event we either did or didn’t do?

When we talk about living for God the Scripture often uses the metaphor of walking on a path. If we go back to our initial Scripture and look at the surrounding verses, we can see the metaphor of the path fleshed out a little bit.

Proverbs 4:10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
Proverbs 4:11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
Proverbs 4:12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Proverbs 4:13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
Proverbs 4:14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
Proverbs 4:15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
Proverbs 4:16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
Proverbs 4:17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Proverbs 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

This passage of Scripture emphasizes the idea of two different ways we could go in our lives. Which path will we be on? The path of the just or the path of the wicked? I would say being born again is getting on the right path, beginning to go the right direction. But there’s more to following God than simply BEING on the right path…it also matters HOW we walk the path. The Jews have a concept called “Halakha.” It refers to the body of Jewish law that covers the way people practice Judaism in specific ways of how they live their lives. The literal meaning has to do with “walking out” the commandments. It comes from this word:

H1980 הלך hâlak
BDB Definition: 1) to go, walk, come
1a2) to die, live, manner of life (figuratively)
1c1) to traverse 1c2) to walk about
1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk

Proverbs 4:12 When thou goest, (halak) thy steps shall not be straitened;

It’s tempting to turn your brain off and say, “Well, I’m on the right path, so I don’t really need to think any more about the way I live.” But if we go a little further in the chapter, we see the father urging his son to think about HOW he walks the path.

Proverbs 4:26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Proverbs 4:27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Is it possible to be on the right path but to turn to the right or to the left? Is it possible that though you’ve started on the right path your ways are not yet “established”? So here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Are you on the right path?
• Are you going the right way?
• Are you stepping off the path?
• Are you making progress on the path?

I feel like I got an insight into this when I heard a Hebrew scholar talk about the different words in the Hebrew language for “sin”. There are synonyms for sin in the Bible that we don’t always use because they seem too Bible-y. Words like iniquity or transgression. What do all these words mean?

Transgression (Pesha) - Rebelling Against the Path; pesh’a - meaning “crime” in modern Hebrew; breaking away from a covenant agreement and commitment–you said you would walk the path but you’re not; revolt, rebellion, coming from a word meaning to break away from authority, from a word meaning to stride with the legs in an aggressive manner, used in Isaiah 27:4 to talk about pushing through thorns. Intentionally and obstinately leaving the path.

Trespass - (Ma’al) Pretending to Walk the Path, But Sneaking Away, and Abandoning the Path; ma‛al - an unfaithful or treacherous act, trespass against man or God; from root word meaning to ascend or incline,

Iniquity (Avon) - Distorting the Path; avon from root word “avah” - twisted, crooked, or distorted (opposite of upright) could be walking on the path but doing it in a twisted way–taking what God has asked and twisting it; being bent, twisted, bowed down, perverted.

Iniquity (Aven) - Exerting Yourself in the Wrong Direction, Pointlessly; 'âven aw'-ven From an unused root perhaps meaning properly to pant (hence to exert oneself, usually in vain; to come to naught); strictly nothingness; also trouble, vanity, wickedness; specifically an idol: - affliction, evil, false, idol, iniquity, mischief, mourners (-ing), naught, sorrow, unjust, unrighteous, vain, vanity, wicked (-ness.)

Guilt - (Asham) Neglecting Needs on the Path so you Perish on the Path; asham; guilt - Gesenius uses the word picture of a slow or weary camel, slowing down on the path so much that you’re not making any progress, referencing neglect, needing water, etc. used for guilt offering.

Sin (Chata) - Missing the Path; khata - Hebrew and Greek similarly use archery term for missing the mark; chata - taking a step off the path

Let’s think about that last word for “sin” for a minute, the most basic way of talking about messing up in our relationship with God.  The Hebrew word usually translated “sin” is “chattah” which is an offence according to Strong’s, and comes from a word (also often translated as “sin”) which has the root meaning to miss; to sin; by inference to forfeit, lack, (causatively) lead astray.

Brown Driver Briggs Definition:
1) to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit
1a) (Qal) 1a1) to miss the goal or path of right and duty 1a3) to incur guilt, incur penalty by sin,
1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to miss the mark 1c2) to induce to sin, cause to sin 1c3) to bring into guilt or condemnation or punishment
1d) (Hithpael) 1d1) to miss oneself, lose oneself, wander from the way

The New Testament has an Equivalent Word:

G266 ἁμαρτία hamartia ham-ar-tee'-ah also meaning “offence”.
Thayer Definition: 1) equivalent to 264
1a) to be without a share in 1b) to miss the mark 1c) to err, be mistaken 1d) to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong 1e) to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin
2) that which is done wrong, sin, an offence, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act
3) collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many.

Isn’t it interesting how many times the definition refers to going off the path? There is a clear path we are supposed to be on, and “sin” is when we have missed the path or wandered from the path.

So now that I’ve given you all the bad words and all the ways we can mess up on the path, how do we keep on the path in the right way? How do we structure and organize our lives to walk out God’s commandments and stay on His path without veering off or twisting what He’s said or breaking our agreement with Him or slowing down and not making any progress? The Psalms give us a solution:

Psalm 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
Psalm 119:10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

So let’s talk about Psalm 119 for a minute. I think it’s time for a little Psalms trivia. This is a section of Psalms that is ripe for trivia! Ready?

• Longest chapter in the Bible - Psalm 119
• Shortest chapter in the Bible - Psalm 117
• Center chapter of the Bible - Psalm 118

So you’re telling me that the center of the Bible is in between the longest and shortest chapters of the Bible? That feels like more than a coincidence to me. But wait–there’s more.

• Center verse of the Bible - Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
• What’s the longest chapter in the Bible about? The Word of God.
• What’s the shortest chapter in the Bible about? Praising God.
• Psalms 113-118 are called the “Hallel” and they are the psalms they would sing at Passover, culminating with Psalm 118 which is full of Messianic prophecies about Jesus, who is the fulfillment of the Passover.
• Psalms 120-134 are called “The Songs of Ascent” which the Jews would sing as they would travel on pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts. It was their roadtrip playlist, if you will.

If we’re supposed to be thinking about travelling to Jerusalem for the feasts, let’s stop and think about it again. If Psalms 113-118 are for Passover, and Psalms 120-134 are about the journey of life which could be connected with the Feast of Tabernacles, what is in between? The longest psalm and chapter of the Bible which is dedicated to the Word of God. What’s the middle feast? Pentecost. Which is when the Jews believe God gave the law to the people of God. So if we track this, after Passover, when we are saved from Egypt, after Jesus dies on the cross and we are saved from our sins, what then? Then comes Pentecost when the law for the Jews is given to help them through their journey to the Promised Land and to live in the Promised Land! Then comes the Spirit which enables us to become the people God has designed us to become! After the Passover psalms, comes the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119. (Bro! You could spend the rest of your life studying just this section of Psalms!)

What are the Psalms? They are fundamentally prayers, but many of them are music and poetry and songs that were sung to God. They are the discipleship soundtrack.  How many of you have music playing in your head as you go throughout life? I’m curious what your life’s soundtrack is. What are your playlists like? Do you have a roadtrip playlist? For some of you older hyphen, what was on your iPod…or really older folks, did you ever have a mix tape? Did you know that God gave us a soundtrack for our spiritual walk in the Bible? It’s called the Book of Psalms.

• How many verses are in Psalm 119? 176.
• Why 176 verses? Because 8 x 22 is 176. 

There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and there are 22 stanzas in Psalm 119. Each stanza begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Verses 1-8 all start with the letter “aleph, verses 9-16 all start with the letter “beth”, verses 17-24 all start with the letter “gimmel”, and so on. So we could look at it as Psalm 119 has the ABCs of discipleship, and I wonder how our lives would change if we steeped ourselves in it.

Now, don’t worry, we’re not going to go through all 22 letters, though you should on your own. However, for the purposes of this lesson, I WOULD like to look at the first two. As we go through these verses, I’d also like us to look for the metaphor of the path, and for how to walk in the path, and notice the different words for “sin” which we’ve already touched upon. Ready?

Psalm 119:1 ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled (entire, complete, without blemish) in the way, (derek) who walk (halak) in the law (torah) of the LORD.

One more aspect of this psalm is all the different synonyms used for the Word of God.

The first, of course, is “the way”. In the book of Acts in the early church, they are called followers of The Way. The word is “derek.”

Way: H187 דֶּרֶךְ derek deh'-rek
From H1869; a road (as trodden); figuratively a course of life or mode of action, often adverbially: - along, away, because of, + by, conversation, custom, [east-] ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, [high-] [path-] way [-side], whither [-soever].

BDB Definition: 1) way, road, distance, journey, manner 1a) road, way, path 1b) journey 1c) direction 1d) manner, habit, way 1e) of course of life (figuratively) 1f) of moral character (figuratively)

Comes from the root word “darak” meaning to tread, or sometimes, to bend a bow.

Notice that it’s the opposite of sin–missing the mark or leaving the path.

The next has a negative connotation for us: law. But what we think of as “law”, I think is probably the Hebrew word for “commandments.” Check out what the word “law” means.

Law - tôrâh - BDB Definition: 1) law, direction, instruction 1a) instruction, direction (human or divine); comes from H3384 יָרָא יָרָה yârâh yârâ' yaw-raw'

A primitive root; properly to flow as water (that is, to rain); transitively to lay or throw (especially an arrow, that is, to shoot); figuratively to point out (as if by aiming the finger), to teach: - (+) archer, cast, direct, inform, instruct, lay, shew, shoot, teach (-er, -ing), through

Notice again, the connotation of an arrow associated with teaching. The law is pointing at something, flowing towards something, aiming at something. And blessed are undefiled in the way who walk in that flow!

Psalm 119:2 Blessed are they that keep (natsar - protect like a watchman) his testimonies, (edah) and that seek (darash - to tread, frequent, follow, ask, worship - 3rd level of Hebrew Biblical interpretation, pashat - literal, remez-hinted at, darash-seek, sod-mysterious) him with the whole heart.

Testimonies - H5713 עֵדָה ‛êdâh ay-daw'

Feminine of H5707 עֵד ‛êd ayd From H5749 עוּד ‛ûd ood A primitive root; to duplicate or repeat; by implication to protest, testify (as by reiteration); intensively to encompass, restore (as a sort of reduplication): - admonish, charge, earnestly, lift up, protest, call (take) to record, relieve, rob, solemnly, stand upright, testify, give warning, (bear, call to, give, take to) witness. contracted; concretely a witness; abstractly testimony; specifically a recorder, that is, prince: - witness.

in its technical sense; testimony: - testimony, witness. Compare H5712. 1a) always plural and always of laws as divine testimonies

Keep - nâtsar - to guard, watch, watch over, keep 1a2) to preserve, guard from dangers 1a3) to keep, observe, guard with fidelity 1a4) to guard, keep secret 1a5) to be kept close, be blockaded 1a6) watchman (participle)

Psalm 119:3 They also do (do or make, practice) no iniquity (aval - distort): they walk (halak) in his ways. (derek)

Psalm 119:4 Thou hast commanded (tsavah - root of mitzvah, send messenger) us to keep (shamar - hedge of thorns) thy precepts (piqqud) diligently (me’od).

There is actually a different word for “Keep” here than there was in verse 2.

Keep - shâmar shaw-mar' A primitive root; properly to hedge about (as with thorns), that is, guard; generally to protect, attend to, etc.: - beware, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep (-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch (-man).

Precepts - H6490 פִּקֻּד פִּקּוּד piqqûd pik-kood' From H6485 פּקד pâqad 

BDB Definition:
1) to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for (verb) 1a1) to pay attention to, observe 1a2) to attend to 1a3) to seek, look about for 1a4) to seek in vain, need, miss, lack 1a5) to visit 1a6) to visit upon, punish 1a7) to pass in review, muster, number 1a8) to appoint, assign, lay upon as a charge, deposit 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be sought, be needed, be missed, be lacking 1b2) to be visited 1b3) to be visited upon 1b4) to be appointed 1b5) to be watched over 1c) (Piel) to muster, call up 1d) (Pual) to be passed in review, be caused to miss, be called, be called to account 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to set over, make overseer, appoint an overseer 1e2) to commit, entrust, commit for care, deposit 1f) (Hophal) 1f1) to be visited 1f2) to be deposited
1f3) to be made overseer, be entrusted 1g) (Hithpael) numbered 1h) (Hothpael) numbered 2) musterings, expenses (noun masculine plural abstract) Part of Speech: see above in Definition
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root ; properly appointed, that is, a mandate (of God; plural only, collectively for the Law): - commandment, precept, statute.

Psalm 119:5 O that my ways (derek) were directed (erect, appointed, established, fixed) to keep (shamar - hedge of thorns) thy statutes! (choq)

Statutes - H2706 חֹק chôq khoke From H2710 חקק Châqaq A primitive root; properly to hack, that is, engrave (Jdg_5:14, to be a scribe simply); by implication to enact (laws being cut in stone or metal tablets in primitive times) or (generally) prescribe: - appoint, decree, governor, grave, lawgiver, note, portray, print, set. BDB Definition: 1) to cut out, decree, inscribe, set, engrave, portray, govern 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to cut in 1a2) to cut in or on, cut upon, engrave, inscribe 1a3) to trace, mark out 1a4) to engrave, inscribe (of a law) 1b) (Poel) 1b1) to inscribe, enact, decree 1b2) one who decrees, lawgiver (participle) 1c) (Pual) something decreed, the law (participle) 1d) (Hophal) to be inscribed Part of Speech: verb: a primitive root
an enactment; hence an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage): - appointed, bound, commandment, convenient, custom, decree (-d), due, law, measure, X necessary, ordinance (-nary), portion, set time, statute, task. H2706 חק Chôq BDB Definition: 1) statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due 1a) prescribed task 1b) prescribed portion 1c) action prescribed (for oneself), resolve 1d) prescribed due 1e) prescribed limit, boundary 1f) enactment, decree, ordinance 1f1) specific decree 1f2) law in general 1g) enactments, statutes 1g1) conditions 1g2) enactments 1g3) decrees 1g4) civil enactments prescribed by God

Psalm 119:6 Then shall I not be ashamed, (pale, disappointed, delayed) when I have respect (scan, look intently at, regard with pleasure, favor, or care) unto all thy commandments. (mitzvah)

Commandments - H4687 מִצְוָה mitsvâh mits-vaw' From H6680 צָוָה tsâvâh tsaw-vaw' A primitive root; (intensively) to constitute, enjoin: - appoint, (for-) bid. (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command (-er, ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order; so mitzvah is a command, whether human or divine (collectively the Law): - (which was) commanded (-ment), law, ordinance, precept.

Psalm 119:7 I will praise (yadah - lift up hands) thee with uprightness (right, equity, meet, straightness) of heart, when I shall have learned (lamad - goad, teach, train) thy righteous (tsedeq - right morally and/or legally, equitable, prosperous) judgments. (mishpat)

Judgments - H4941משׁפּט mishpâṭ BDB Definition: 1) judgment, justice, ordinance 1a1) act of deciding a case 1a2) place, court, seat of judgment 1a3) process, procedure, litigation (before judges) 1a4) case, cause (presented for judgment) 1a5) sentence, decision (of judgment) 1a6) execution (of judgment) 1a7) time (of judgment) 1b) justice, right, rectitude (attributes of God or man) 1c) ordinance 1d) decision (in law) 1e) right, privilege, due (legal) 1f) proper, fitting, measure, fitness, custom, manner, plan Part of Speech: noun masculine. Root word from H8199 שָׁפַט shâphaṭ shaw-fat' A primitive root; to judge, that is, pronounce sentence (for or against); by implication to vindicate or punish; by extension to govern; passively to litigate (literally or figuratively): H8199 שׁפט shâphaṭ BDB Definition: 1) to judge, govern, vindicate, punish 1a1) to act as law-giver or judge or governor (of God, man) 1a1a) to rule, govern, judge 1a2) to decide controversy (of God, man) 1a3) to execute judgment 1a3a) discriminating (of man) 1a3b) vindicating 1a3c) condemning and punishing 1a3d) at theophanic advent for final judgment 1b1) to enter into controversy, plead, have controversy together 1b2) to be judged 1c) (Poel) judge, opponent-at-law (participle) Part of Speech: verb: a primitive root

Psalm 119:8 I will keep (shamar - hedge of thorns) thy statutes (choq): O forsake me not utterly.

Psalm 119:9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? (orach - well-trodden road, from word meaning to travel) by taking heed thereto (shamar-hedge of thorns) according to thy word. (dabar)

Word - H1697 דּבר dâbâr BDB Definition: 1) speech, word, speaking, thing 1a) speech 1b) saying, utterance 1c) word, words 1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner Part of Speech: noun masculine; from H1696 דָּבַר dâbar daw-bar' A primitive root; perhaps properly to arrange; but used figuratively (of words) to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue: - answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use [entreaties], utter, X well, X work.

Parallel with “Logos” in Greek.

Psalm 119:10 With my whole heart have I sought (darash - frequent, tread, ask - paralleling with verse 2) thee: O let me not wander (shagah - go astray, reel from intoxication, be enraptured and thus distracted) from thy commandments. (mitsvah)

Psalm 119:11 Thy word (imrah) have I hid (tsafan - hide by covering over, hoard, reserve) in mine heart, that I might not sin (chata) against thee.

Word - H565 אֶמְרָה אִמְרָה 'imrâh 'emrâh im-raw', em-raw' The second form is the feminine of H561, and meaning the same: - commandment, speech, word. BDB Definition: 1) utterance, speech, word 1a) word of God, the Torah; Part of Speech: noun feminine: from H561 - אמר 'êmer BDB Definition: 1) utterance, speech, word, saying, promise, command; Part of Speech: noun masculine: from H559 - אמר 'âmar BDB Definition: 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) to say, to answer, to say in one’s heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c)to boast, to act proudly 1d) to avow, to avouch; Part of Speech: verb: a primitive root

Parallel with “Rhema” in Greek. Specific sayings, vs broader teaching.

Psalm 119:12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach (lamad) me thy statutes. (choq - enactment)

Psalm 119:13 With my lips have I declared (safar - enumerate, recount, celebrate) all the judgments (mishpat - decisions) of thy mouth.

Psalm 119:14 I have rejoiced (sus - be bright, cheerful) in the way (derek) of thy testimonies, (eduth - witness) as much as in all riches.

Psalm 119:15 I will meditate (siyach - muse, mutter, converse with oneself aloud) in thy precepts (piqqud - entrusted responsibility), and have respect (nabat - scan, look intently at, regard with pleasure and care) unto thy ways. (orach - road well-travelled)

Psalm 119:16 I will delight (play, look upon, amuse please self, by cuddling a baby or petting a puppy) myself in thy statutes: (khook-kaw' Feminine of H2706, and meaning substantially the same: - appointed, custom, manner, ordinance, site, statute) I will not forget (mislay, be oblivious of) thy word. (dabar)

Martyr Complex or Rejoicing in Suffering?

Something has been happening in our society that I have noticed has subtly crept into my own heart as I have imbibed the cultural waters we have been swimming in.  It's funny how certain things are very noticeable in societal movements as a whole and yet in your own heart are much harder to spot.

I'm talking about the rise of the "victim mentality."  Have you noticed it?

Suddenly, people receive bonus points of respect and credibility if they have been victimized in any number of ways.  Extra leeway is given and sometimes even a free pass on bad behaviors.  In a dramatic flip from ancient Greco-Roman values, the weak and vulnerable are applauded and the strong are despised as oppressors.

Now, in large part, that fits in with my Christian worldview.  And, though most would be loathe to admit it, I believe historian Tom Holland has put his finger on the idea that many of the social trends of our modern, western society are traceable back to the rise of Christianity.  Surely, we SHOULD have extra respect for the weak and vulnerable!  The Apostle Paul DID teach us to prefer our weaker brothers over ourselves.  Doubtless, the prophets of Israel condemned with fiery passion the strong oppressors who took advantage of the fatherless, widows, and strangers and assured us that God looks out for and defends these groups.

And yet, in many ways, I still feel uncomfortable with the elevating of this new class of victims, because our elevation of the weak, the vulnerable, and the victimized seems to have created a desire on the part of many to be part of that class.  

I notice it in people who claim minority status if they have any trace of minority ancestry in their blood because there have been benefits conferred on that group by the government.

I notice it in young people who complain of anxiety and a variety of mental illnesses because people in need of mental health are given special leeway and privileges.

I notice it in people proclaiming new sexual identities because with that new identity comes a sense of welcome and belonging from groups of people who are knit tightly together because of a feeling of being the outsiders.

And I have come to notice it in myself when ministry becomes difficult and people are hurtful towards me because of the message I preach.

When we are being mistreated, we are told to take it patiently, love our enemies, and pray for them.  But I have realized that I have been giving in to the temptation to tell people about just how much I am suffering as I'm trying to live out these commands.  In fact, I have been using it as a seal of authenticity, a badge of legitimacy, proof that I am a true minister of the gospel.  After all, doesn't the Bible tell us to rejoice in our suffering?

Unfortunately, I think that I haven't been rejoicing in suffering like the apostles did as much as reveling in it, expecting sympathy and respect.  How do we understand the difference between what the Bible speaks of when it talks about rejoicing in suffering and the victim mentality that people use as a get-out-of-jail-free card when they don't behave well?

C.S. Lewis wrote a profound book called Till We Have Faces.  Not at all the kind of book I generally expect from him with overtly Christian themes.  This is a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche and set in a deliberately pagan context, told from the perspective of a queen whose sister, when she was young, was taken to be married to the god of the mountain.  That may sound very unChristian and pagan.  And it is.  Yet, by framing the story in that context, C.S. Lewis is able to slip under the locked doors of people's defenses against Christianity, and even for Christians, because the discussion is about pagan gods who aren't real, he is able to explore themes and ideas that people genuinely wrestle with but can't discuss without sounding blasphemous.  The book isn't for everyone, but it is one of the most profound books I have read in years, psychologically speaking.

In particular, in specific reference to the ideas I'm trying to trod out in this blog post, one aspect hit me hard.  The pagan queen retelling the story when she is old, feels very misused and abused by everyone.  As a girl, she was the ugly one of the king's daughters and he did not hesitate to let her know that.  She was not good for anything because she couldn't be married off to the prince of a neighboring kingdom to make an alliance.  She has a little sister whom she basically raised, and considers more as a daughter than a sister, who is taken off by the priest to be sacrificed, and she can never know the romantic love she craves in marriage because she is so ugly.  And yet somehow she becomes queen, and a very good queen.  Now, please keep in mind, that I am trying to summarize C. S. Lewis and can never do this story justice in a simple summary when his writing and themes are so rich and complex and for me, somewhat inexpressible.  I'm just trying to relay the necessary information needed to underscore my point.  I've also been listening to a discussion of the book by Corey Olsen, the Tolkien professor, who has been walking through it with an online class that anyone can listen to, which has been exploring the themes.

The part that prompted me along the line of thought in this blog post is that the first person narration of the queen gives us her perspective in such a relatable way that we are on her side, even if we recognize the root of some of her actions are due to jealousy and selfishness.  The reason we relate to her so much is that we are like her. (I'm using the first person plural so that I don't feel lonely when I talk about relating to a selfish, jealous, pagan queen haha.)  We have all felt that selfish jealousy at times, and have certainly all felt misused and hurt in all kinds of ways.  We are quick to point out all the ways we have been victimized and "ill-used," as she might say.  The frame of the story we are reading is in the form of a book she is writing in accusation against the gods, and I recognize many of her barbed accusations in what people have told me about God when they don't understand why they have suffered as much as they have in life.

What the queen doesn't seem to realize at first, though she comes to realize it through writing the book and through conversations she has as an old woman (you maybe should skip these paragraphs, if you're worried about spoilers, by the way), is that she has been guilty of the very thing of which she has accused the gods.  In her role as queen, she misused and hurt others, and her very feeling of being so victimized blinded her to the ways in which she was victimizing others!  The very belief she had that she was unloved and unloveable blinded her to the people who really DID love her very much (though maybe not in the ways she desired) and led her to be unloving towards them!  There are parts of the book where the irony is so palpable that it is almost painful!  There are many more parallels and themes that I could go into, but that would serve to bog down the blog, so to speak, so I have to move on before I start raving about how brilliant Lewis is in the way he writes this.

The uncomfortable part of reading the book for me was realizing that in many more ways than I would care to enumerate I am like her.  As we begin to see the ways in which Orual (the queen's name) is clearly in the wrong, like David listening to Nathan, I started to realize that I also have made the same mistake at times.

Ministry is hard.  No one who has really gotten into the trenches with people, teaching them the Bible, encouraging them to live a godly life, and seeing them turn on you after you have done so much for them would deny that.  It's easy to start to become bitter and see in yourself a martyr who is suffering for the Lord.  But is that rejoicing in suffering?  Or is that more like reveling, or perhaps wallowing in suffering?  When I tell others about how hard ministry is, am I seeking counsel and encouragement, or am I looking for pity and admiration for how much I have to put up with?  When people ask me how things are going, why do I tend to start out with a complaint about how hard things are?  In what way does that kind of answer glorify God?

When James tells us to count it all joy when we fall into diverse temptations, I don't think he means to relish the recounting of our sufferings and how badly we have been mistreated when we are just trying to do what is right.  I think he means that we should genuinely rejoice!  At some point I may write another post getting into this concept in more detail.

For now, I am aiming to not relish my sufferings as much as to rejoice in them.  God uses difficult things in our lives for our benefit AND for the benefit of others and that's a GOOD thing.  We don't need to have a martyr's complex in living for Him.  We, instead, need to "kiss the wave the casts us upon the rock of ages" as a Charles Spurgeon quote I heard from one of my coworkers says.  The reason we do is because it throws us on Him.  He is our consolation.  He is our joy!

Revelation 2:1-29: "The Seven Candlesticks of Asia"

One of the most important aspects of Revelation is the series of letters to the seven churches at the beginning of the book.  It's kinda funny--I've noticed that some people like to skim over these chapters because they're trying to get to the juicy, end-time-predictive elements later in the book, while others tend to focus only on these first couple of chapters and the last couple of chapters and skip the bizarre middle bit.  I find the letters to the seven churches to be some of the most relatable and convicting elements of the book, and no wonder, since it is addressed to the churches, and to those who have ears to hear.  I want to strongly urge every reader of Revelation to spend a lot of time at the beginning of the book here.  There's  a key phrase for this section which is repeated over and over:

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

I believe that is the most important phrase in these chapters, and possibly a key of Biblical interpretation for the whole book of Revelation, and even for the entire Bible!

Regardless of what your interpretation of these churches is, I would urge you to resist ANY interpretation that causes you to relegate the messages to these churches to other people without looking at how it applies to you.  In other words, if you think these churches represent different periods in the church age, do not ignore the earlier ones because we are in a different time period.  Similarly, if you think these are simply the churches who once lived in Asia Minor but are long gone, do not ignore the messages as if it has nothing to do with us today.  I believe these seven churches dealt with the exact same kinds of things we still deal with today and that Christians have dealt with throughout all of history, and it would be a huge mistake to ignore the message that Jesus Himself gives to each church.

Since the command is "he that has an hear, let him hear," that means that though these messages were to specific churches in the first century, which they were, it has application to anyone who has an ear to hear.  The phrase echoes other places in Scripture (like Deuteronomy 29:4; Isaiah 6:10; Ezekiel 12:2; Matthew 11:14; Matthew 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23, 7:16; Luke 8:8, 14:35) often in reference to people hearing the words but being too rebellious and stubborn to Jesus, and invitations by Jesus to really understand what he is saying in a parable and apply it to their lives.  The fact that this phrase comes up so often in Revelation 2-3 tells me that we must search our own hearts and really see how these messages apply to us!

While these were messages to seven specific churches in the days of the Apostle John under the reign of the Emperor Domitian, there is also a symbolic aspect to these churches being chosen.  The number 7 is significant in the Bible, as I've mentioned in previous posts, representing completion, fulfillment, etc.  The fact that seven churches are chosen seems to be a nod to the fact that these messages are for the entire church.  After all, it wasn't as if each message was cut out of these chapters and sent to whatever church it was addressed to separately...all seven of these churches got the entire book of Revelation sent to them, and it is interesting to think about how the whole book would sound to a church that had left its first love, or began compromising with the world, or who were under intense persecution.  This is how Revelation is framed intentionally so that we can actually apply the message of Revelation to our lives rather than just feeling like we have a crystal ball and superior knowledge about future events.

When reading the letters to the seven churches, I think each congregation of saints needs to evaluate where they are in light of these messages, and each individual person also needs to evaluate themselves.  Though these messages describe characteristics of a group of people, I know that I have needed many of these lessons throughout my life at various times.  These letters are actually very comprehensive--don't just assume you're like the church at Philadelphia (the one who doesn't get a rebuke, per se), really search out each one and see which aspects apply to your life today.

There's a reason the Revelation of what is to come begins with instructions for how God's people need to correct themselves today.  One of the most powerful things about this part of Revelation is how the churches are described by John.  Do you remember?  As seven golden candlesticks.  They are lights in the darkness, representing God's Spirit and manifesting the seven spirits of God in different locations, though it is the same Spirit, the same oil, flowing through the entire thing.  However, Jesus makes it clear that a candlestick could be removed from its place.  These warnings, rebukes, corrections, and encouragements are designed to make sure that as God's plan for history unfolds, the seven churches will shine brightly, manifesting the Spirit of God in the darkness of this world.

One more thing to note before we look at a summary list...one of the cool ways each church's message from Jesus is framed is by an aspect of the description of Jesus at the beginning (usually drawn from chapter 1) and the reward if they overcome at the end.  These two things relate to whatever the church needs to hear in the middle.  Here's a list I compiled when I was studying this at some point:

1. Ephesus

Don’t forget your first love.  Ephesus was working hard, standing strong for doctrine and patiently enduring trials, but in the midst of that had left her first love, and was commanded to remember from where she had fallen, repent and do the first works.

Result: Tree of Life in Paradise.

I believe Ephesus was in a classic Mary and Martha situation--doing so much for Jesus that she forgot to be with Him. Jesus IS the tree of life--He's the source of life. If we forget Him, no matter how much we do for Him, we will end up in the situation of the people Jesus speaks of in Matthew 7, having done many wonderful works, but He says, "I never knew you." This is why there is a threat of their candlestick being removed. If the source of the oil is stopped, there will be no manifested light. He is the vine, we are the branches (which is interestingly what the candlesticks are called in Ephesus). When we are cut off from our source of life, of Jesus the Tree of Life in relationship, we will die, no matter how much we do for Him.

Attribute of Jesus: Holding 7 Stars; Walking in Midst of Candlesticks.

This is a reminder to Ephesus that Jesus Himself has them in His hand, and that He is right there in their midst, though they seem to be ignoring Him. Turn to the One who is in your midst, Ephesus, and remember that if you forget Him, you're forgetting the One who hold the stars, which give direction and mark signs and seasons, in His hand.

2. Smyrna

Don’t give up during tribulations. Smyrna was in danger of becoming like the seed that had fallen on the stones, poor and going through hard times, persecuted by the Jews. She is commanded to not be afraid of suffering--they would be tested by being cast into prison and some would even die, but they were enjoined to be faithful because it would just be a short time.

Result: Crown of Life; Not Hurt of Second Death.

What a beautiful promise of reward! The church at Smyrna was poor and in a much lower social class, but they are promised crowns if they endure. And not just crowns of death that will fade or be awarded posthumously, but crowns of life! They are told that some of them WILL die...there is no promise that they will not be hurt by death. But there IS a promise that they won't be hurt of the Second Death, which is much worse. Smyrna is encouraged to look beyond their present life to the one that is to come.

Attribute of Jesus: Alive but was Dead.

Again, what encouragement! They're not the first ones who will have to through death believing in something better. The One who is asking this of them has alreay been through death! He was there already, scouting it out, and it's going to be okay! He was dead, but now He's alive! If He can do it, and He's telling you to do it, you will make it through.

3. Pergamos

Don’t compromise in doctrine and holiness.  Pergamos was in the midst of a very hostile environment, a man named Antipas was even martyred holding fast to the name of Jesus and not denying the faith. However, possibly because of the pressure, compromise had slipped in--they were eating things sacrificed to idols and committing fornication; morality was being corrupted form within and they were allowing the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which apparently was a very licentious attitude. They are commanded to repent.

Result: Hidden Manna, White Stone with New Name.

I believe the Doctrine of the Nicolaitanes was associated with eating food to idols and committing fornication. I think an early form of this doctrine was very present in the Corinthian church and this is what 1 Corinthians is all about. The idea was that everything was spiritual so nothing in the physical world really matters and what we eat or how we use our bodies doesn't have any affect on us spiritually. The apostles fought against this doctrine vehemently. But it would be hard in a city like Pergamos, which was the center for many different religious cults, and was known for festivals which were full of all the fleshly pleasures one could imagine to maintain purity. But Jesus promises those who overcome will get something better than meat offered to idols...they will get the hidden manna. They will be satisfied from the secret source of God's heavenly bread. Like the Israelites with the manna in the wilderness, sometimes what God offers to satisfy us with doesn't seem as good as what Egypt offers, and it gets old and boring after awhile. Yet this is angel food, and it will ultimately satisfy us far more than anything in this world. Similarly fornication offers only a temporary, shallow intimacy of knowing another person...but there's a white stone with a new name written in it waiting on us. This represents an intimacy with Jesus that goes far beyond what is available in the cheap sex available at the Pergamos festivals.

Attribute of Jesus: Sharp Sword of Mouth.

What can we use to fight against this false doctrine? How can we resist compromise in our lives? We have an advocate with a powerful weapon on our side. But we have to understand this weapon in order to skillfully handle it. The sword comes from Jesus's mouth--it is His Word. This is the only tool that can pierce to the dividing of soul and spirit and discern our thoughts and the intentions of our hearts. Just like Jesus defeated Satan with the Word of God, we can defeat the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

4. Thyatira

Don’t allow immorality to run rampant.  There were a lot of good things about this church’s works, love, service, faith, patience and works. (And yes, "works" are mentioned twice in these verses.) However, they were allowing a self-proclaimed prophetess named Jezebel to seduce people to commit fornication and eat what was offered to idols. But God was going to take care of this false teacher because He searches the motivations and heart and will reward according to works. No other burden on the rest, though, who hadn’t bought into this doctrine. They were just told to hold fast. The distinction between Thyatira and Pergamos seems to be that in Pergamos, people in the church were holding to this false doctrine, though the leadership wasn't, but here, they are allowing this false teaching to be actively taught.

Result: Power Over Nations with Rod of Iron and the Morning Star.

The reward to those who overcome in this church is almost startling. Jesus is promising participation in titles that were specifically for the Messiah! Psalm 2 has the description of the Christ being the One who would rule the nations with a rod of iron, but Jesus extends that right which He has won through His victory on the cross to overcoming believers! I think there's a little 1 Corinthians 6 flavor coming through here, where Paul asks the Corinthians, "Don't you know you will rule the world? How much more things that pertain to this life!" The angel or star of the church needs to really lead and not allow Jezebel to spread her false teachings through the church. The Morning Star was the brightest star in the sky as night became day, and a signal that the night was passed and the day was now here. Jesus calls Himself the Morning Star later in the book. He will bring them into the daylight, if they will stay true.

Attribute of Jesus: Eyes Like Fire; Feet Like Fine Brass.

Jesus has eyes of fire, and He searches the innermost parts of us. Do not think that immorality or false teaching will escape His gaze, though He may have allowed a season so that repentance could come. Judgment will come and nothing is hidden from Him. Even brass has a connotation of judgment of sin in the Old Testament due to the connotations of the Bronze Altar and Brazen Laver. It's reflective and must be brought through fire and water for cleansing, just as the church of Thyatira needed to reflect on what they were allowing, and cleanse and purify.