Monday 9 May

Judges 9:1-57

It’s this kind of ripping yarn that makes bible in a year so stimulating.  Firstly those reckless adventurers sound exciting don’t they?  I wonder what they had to do to distinguish themselves from just plain adventurers?  And then, it seems deliciously appropriate that Jotham would have found his refuge in Beer after he gobbed off at Shechem.  The tale of Abimelech’s destruction of the cities is so convoluted and garbled that it can only be a near-verbatim rendition of some soldier’s post-battle bragging and the death of Abimelech on the receiving end of a millstone is so undignified it is crazy (that millstone-chucker must have been a heck of a woman - how on earth could she have lugged something so heavy over the top of the city walls!).  But arcing above all of this mayhem is the covenant work of God, continuing to act on behalf of his people, continuing to call them back into faithfulness to Him, continuing to lead them into his provision.  God just doesn’t seem to make things neat and tidy for us.  He doesn’t even seem to make things remotely civilized.  But He is working, bringing honour to those who seek him and creating for them a great future throughout the unfolding of the days. 

John 6:1-24

It’s like a massive contraction. Things have been building for a while but this is a big one; the knuckles are seriously whitening and the midwives on putting on their gloves. Everyone is thinking “Here comes the baby”.  Everyone except Jesus.  He has pooched off to a mountainside to have some time on his own.  This feeding of the 5000 looks like one of the last major signs of the end of exile.  The long promised heavenly banquet is being served up and the king is being unveiled.  Surely enemies are about to be vanquished and friends bequeathed into a glorious time of prosperity and peace?  But no.  Or at least, not quite.  Jesus is the King and he is ending this exile but he hasn’t yet shown the people the full expanse of his kingdom.  People haven’t yet grasped that his domain is all people, not just Israel and that he has come to transform, not just subdue.  So he walks away to hold himself under the guidance of the Father and to let the people cool off from their passions.  These people aren’t yet ready for this baby.  But, John is at pains to show that this takes nothing away from Jesus’ glory.  If anything that has increased even more yet again.  He walks on the water and subjects nature to his mastery.  He is God incarnate, I AM here among us. “Fear not” indeed for he is truly too majestic to comprehend.  You see Jesus is doing something uniquely momentous and he wants people to properly get that.  If we read on, John will show us the way to respond.

Psalm 58:1-11

That’s a great picture of our response to God.  We won’t heed the tune of our charmer no matter how skilful he may be.  It’s great that he gives us a chance to repent before our fangs get torn out.