Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during March 2021]

In his 1953 play “Waiting for Godot”, Samuel Beckett introduces his two principal characters, Vladimir and Estragon. These are men of mature years who have fallen upon hard times, but they have heard that a benefactor by the name of Godot can restore their fortunes. The play describes the feelings and experiences of the two men as they wait to meet up with Godot, who never actually arrives. Beckett himself denied any religious connotations in his plot but many commentators have likened both the name and the unsatisfied wait to the experience of those who are waiting for Jesus to return and fix everything.

The return of Jesus is no longer regarded with such a high degree of anticipation as it once was. One common argument states “It’s been 2,000 years; if he hasn’t come yet then he’s not coming at all” but the counter argument “It’s been 2,000 years; the appointed date must be getting closer” must surely carry more weight, at least with those who believe His promise.

We concluded our previous reflection with a quotation from the prophet Malachi. Reading further in the prophecy shows that the day to which it refers will bring destruction to those who disdain the worship of the Almighty God but healing to those who revere His name. The final verses state that Elijah will come to give a final warning.

But Elijah had already come and gone. To whom do these verses refer? In Matthew 11, Jesus explains that John the Baptist had come to repeat Elijah’s warnings and to act as a forerunner of his own ministry. During that ministry Jesus spoke of his own second coming; he did not spell out when it will be but he described the circumstances:

Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. … It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. [Luke 17 v26-27, 30 NIVUK]

So what do we know about the days of Noah? Adam’s two sons, Cain and Seth, had claimed land, built cities and established their own dynasties. The flood occurred during the 1656th year after the birth of Adam; Methuselah, Noah’s grandfather, died aged 969 in the same year. Male life-expectancy in the 11 generations prior to the flood averaged 828 years, it was 263 years afterwards. More significant is this summary:

The [population of the] earth was corrupt [absolutely depraved—spiritually and morally putrid] in God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence [desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power]. God looked on the earth and saw how debased and degenerate it was, for all humanity had corrupted their way on the earth and lost their true direction. [Genesis 6 v 11-12 AMP]

Do we recognise certain similarities with our own times? Might we be in the last days before Christ returns? I suspect that many generations of God’s people have thought the same. In the 1840s the followers of Baptist preacher William Miller were convinced that they knew the date, and prepared accordingly. They were wrong, but sooner or later one generation is going to be proved right, and it could well be our own. Jesus offers the following advice:

You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. [Luke 12 v40 NIVUK]

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Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 28/Feb/2021]

In our church Priscilla and I are just two of approximately four million people in this country who have been waiting a long time for routine surgery, such as a hip or knee replacement. While we are waiting it is important to carry on with the physiotherapy exercises to strengthen the joints and ease the pain.

About 18 months ago I regularly attended a NHS pain workshop and, in addition to the physical exercises, we were taught to do relaxation and breathing exercises to calm the tension. I used to find the breathing ones rather tedious just counting all the time while filling and emptying my lungs. So I decided to recall Bible verses in my mind, reciting one line breathing in, and the next line breathing out and so on.
For example:-

(In)“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, … (Out)who was, and is, and is to come.”
“The sovereign Lord is my strength. … By his wounds I am healed.”
“Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. … His faithful love endures forever.”

I find this much more helpful, and you might like to try it with your favourite verses when you feel stressed during lockdown.

The reason I thought about sharing this is that we finally received our Christmas presents from a number of family members at the end of January. One present was a print of a painting of nine flying geese symbolising the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5 v22-23). It was painted by Chris Duffett, a Baptist minister and artist. I was surprised when I turned it over and saw in big letters “And Breathe”. The artist described how the painting is an invitation to breathe in the fruit of the Spirit and breathe out the opposite of them. He had been inspired by the breath prayer of Sheridan Voysey as follows:-
You can pray the words in bold breathing in and the other words slowly breathing out:

Lord God, fill me with your Holy Spirit.
I receive your love, … and release my insecurity
I receive your joy, … and release my unhappiness
I receive your peace, … and release my anxiety
I receive your patience, … and release my impulsiveness
I receive your kindness, … and release my indifference
I receive your goodness, … and release my ungodliness
I receive your faithfulness, … and release my disloyalty
I receive your gentleness, … and release my severity
I receive your self-control, … and release my self-indulgence
Amen

Wouldn’t it be great if the NHS taught this prayer as a breathing exercise in their pain workshops?

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during March 2021]

In the 1969 classic British film ‘The Italian Job’ Charlie Croker leads a gang of petty criminals on a raid to redirect a consignment of gold bars being transferred through Turin. The film shows how the gang relieves the Italian guards of the bullion, then switches it to three Minis which make a thrilling escape through, around, over and under the streets of Turin before transferring the gold into a coach which then sets off back through the Alps towards England. The climax of the film shows the coach teetering on the edge of a precipice whilst the pallet of gold slides towards the tipping point.

The premise is that the gold would be of more use in the British underworld rather than sitting in an Italian bank. Do we tolerate the criminality of the raid whilst applauding its patriotism? Or has patriotism itself become an embarrassment which is suppressed only by the thrill of the chase?

By current standards the film contains comparatively limited amounts of sex and violence, and no doubt that contributes to its enduring ‘cult’ status. Like many other films, it has contributed some catch-phrases to our more common vocabulary. Expressions including “You’re only supposed to blow the doors off” and “Hang on lads, I’ve got an idea” have achieved a usage beyond their original dialogue in the film. Also like many other films, one of its most poignant songs “On Days Like These” has joined the wider repertoire of popular film music.

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What are we to make of ‘days like these’? Would days like ours be a shock to the prophets of old? Would the wide-spread acceptance of sex, violence and God-less behaviour be a surprise? A disappointment, probably, but a surprise, no!

It seems to me that familiarity with the Old Testament prophets has declined dramatically in the latest couple of generations. How often do our sermons even allude to them, let alone offer any contemporary lessons from their experiences? Even after 250+ of these reflections there are still some of the prophets’ books that have not yet been quoted.

Are Old Testament prophets relevant to days like these? Consider this verse from Jeremiah:

The mother of seven will grow faint and breathe her last. Her sun will set while it is still day; she will be disgraced and humiliated. [Jeremiah ch 15 v9 NIVUK]

I don’t know if the current leader of the European Commission is familiar with that verse but I image that it could make uncomfortable reading for her and her seven children.

The following quotation comes from the final book of the Old Testament; it needs no further comment.

It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it. [Malachi 3 v14-15 NIVUK]

So, do the Old Testament prophets have anything encouraging to say to us? We need explore no further than the final couplet of the same chapter:

‘On the day when I act,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. [Malachi 3 v17-18 NIVUK]

We do not know when that day will come but it could well be on a day like these.

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Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This is one in a series of mid-week devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during February 2021]

Mulberry, Pear, Poplar and Balsam trees; it sounds like it might be a valuable orchard. Mulberries and pears provide fruit for consumption, poplar wood is good for construction and fuel whilst balsam has a medicinal application. Apart from their agricultural benefits, these trees have something else in common. They have all been mentioned in various English translations of the account of king David’s battles against the Philistines at the Valley of Rephaim:

As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry (or pear, or poplar or balsam) trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army. [2 Samuel 5 v24]

We are familiar with pears, they produce a nutritious fruit that can be a tasty snack or an essential component of a fruit salad, or they can be pressed to provide various types of drink. However, pears are not specifically mentioned anywhere else in the Bible so it is a matter of some curiosity as to why that word was chosen.

Mulberries are also juicy and nutritious but perhaps not so common in our grocery baskets. I recall that, like walnuts, handling them direct from the tree produces a dark and persistent stain on the skin. Indeed a reference in the apocryphal book of Maccabees indicates that the juice of mulberries was used to accustom fighting elephants to the blood on the battlefield. Perhaps more relevant to us is this passage from Luke:

And the Lord said, “If you have [confident, abiding] faith in God [even as small] as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree [which has very strong roots], ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea’; and [if the request was in agreement with the will of God] it would have obeyed you. [Luke 17 v6 AMP]

The generic term ‘poplar’ includes a number of different trees but generally they are deep-rooted, fast-growing and have a commercial value for construction timber and biomass fuel. They have a very light-coloured wood, a characteristic which Jacob exploited when tending his father-in-law’s sheep.

Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. … When the flocks came to drink, they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. [Genesis 30 v37-39]

Identifying the balsam tree is more ambiguous as there are several options for the source of balm, the aromatic and medicinal ointment associated with the name. One likely choice is the terebinth tree:

Now the Lord appeared to Abraham by the terebinth trees of Mamre [in Hebron], while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. … He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” [Genesis 18 v1, v10 AMP]

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What can we learn from this arboreal discourse?
» Firstly, it demonstrates that the diversity of God’s creation far exceeds the simple description of the creation of trees and plants given in Genesis 1 v11.
» Secondly, we can see in each of the examples that God can intervene in the natural order when it suits his purposes to do so.
» Thirdly, David’s army, the disciples, Jacob and Abraham and Sarah were all active participants in God’s plan but they had to wait for God’s timing.
It’s a lesson that David wanted to share with us:

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. [Psalm 27 v14 NIVUK]

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Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.