Joshua 9:16-10:43
Don’t you get the impression that every one of Joshua’s anecdotes would end with the phrase “so I put it to the sword”? This narrative does make him sound a little one-dimensional; like a rugby prop who is always spoiling for a fight and might even deck the referee. But this is not just rampant aggression, it is “zeal”. Joshua birthed this zeal through extended meditation and worship in the Tent of Meeting (Ex 33:11) and now he is giving it free reign in pursuit of the God-given objectives for him and for Israel. Zeal like this is a good, God-inspired thing that courses through the veins and surges us forwards towards obedience and sacrifice. We all know that even Jesus expressed it at the temple. But I would suspect that such murderous zeal would not be what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Perhaps it is more a ravenous hunger for holiness and for purity for the church. Perhaps it is reckless pursuit of justice for the oppressed. Perhaps it is a radical no-holes-bared quest for the glorification of God and the extension of His kingdom. Perhaps it is expressed in aching prayer, fearless action and audaciously loving words. I don’t know exactly what zeal would look like today but I do know where to find it; in the deepest recesses of the presence of the Lord.
Luke 23:26-56
Yesterday we saw how Jesus is King of Kings. Today we gaze with wonder upon the unfathomable depths of his love. Every paragraph is buckling under the weight of His compassion and care. Jesus has been tortured and ridiculed, put through agony and humiliation and yet he turns to the women - He turns to them! - and desperate to see them saved he urges them to weep and prepare for the coming troubles. Surely He should have been fixed on saving himself from his own troubles but love showed him another way and he chose it. As they batter the metal through his flesh he asks his Father not to spare himself the pain but to spare the hammer-bearers the agony of their own actions. When nobodies claim superiority over him he doesn’t vilify them or curse them but ignores them . But when a criminal submits to Him He promises him the greatest future anyone could ever desire. And that is not even to mention the actual act of dying. Whoever we are, whatever we have done Jesus responds to us with monstrous volumes of love. His longing is to see us well, his aspect is turned towards us and his arms are open wide. He is the King of Kings but, my goodness does he love his subjects. He loves us and he loves us and he loves us till days have no end.
Proverbs 10:21-30
The lips of the righteous nourish many. I love the idea of us wandering around feeding people and building them up just by chatting.
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