phylactovirus 11:18

i love learning. i think the best part of graduating from Union's MCS program is that i no longer have to write papers, but the worst part is that now i have to create the opportunities to learn on my own, rather than having someone smarter and wiser say, "hey- this textbook/article/essay/sermon/TEDTalk is awesome and you will be a better person for having experienced it."

i went to a music recital at Union tonight with another church member, who introduced me to everyone around as "a Union grad, times 2!" and so i got to experience yet again the facial expressions when each person found out my master's degree has absolutely nothing to do with my bachelor's.

it means i'm a giant nerd. i love big books. i love reading assignments. i love discussion groups and questions and interactions, just like i love patient care and needles and vital signs and IVs.  i have accepted my role, the same way i accepted both degrees- with a flippin' giant smile.

of course, the absolutely best thing about my favorite ginormous book…

[rabbit trail conversation starter: since when is "ginormous" a legit word? whose job is it to update microsoft's autocorrect to recognize it as correctly spelled, and not put the little squiggly red line under it?]

anyway…. the absolutely best thing about my favorite ginormous book is that no matter how many times you read it, there is always more to learn. (either that, or i'm an idiot who forgets the same things each time, and realizes them again upon re-reading it).  i'm sure personal context is a factor as well. the bigger factor is that this book's words are living and active.  they are not dusty and mildewed like ancient archives in a medieval castle. they are not stale like those maple-flavored cheerios i don't like and that have since turned to styrofoam. they are alive. they have relevance to people today, just as they did thousands of years ago. 

another "of course," you can't possibly look at a screen for more than 7.2 seconds without hearing about covid-19. as if it were the only thing of relevance to humankind, this strain of respiratory disease has captured the attention of the globe, causing normally (supposedly) rational people to lose their minds and buy every last roll of toilet paper in their ZIP code.

[rabbit trail conversation starter: what. the. heck. it's a respiratory disease.]

because for some reason it wasn't happening before, suddenly people are washing their hands, covering their coughs and staying home when they are sick. (this is where the entire medical community simultaneously retches and rolls its collective eyes). somehow, what decades of flu seasons haven't done, coronovirus-19 has accomplished. people are paying attention to their hands, their heads, what they do, where they go, who they listen to.

i'm nearing the end of 2 kings in my self-study, and am right about 3 kings after 10-ish tribes get demolished and chained and hauled off to Assyria because of a mile-long list of abominations and evils. i'm also about 3 kings before the same fate comes to the remaining 2-ish tribes. right in the middle there is king josiah.  great-grandson of hezekiah (one of my favorite kings), he starts off strong and finishes well. but most of that, i'm fairly positive, is because something even more astonishing than a virus popped up out of nowhere and brought a royal young leader to his knees.

his priests were doing their spring cleaning, which hadn't been done (properly, anyway) for a number of years, because josiah's dad and grandad were… well, they bring to mind phrases like, "evil beyond compare." they were colossal failures, and took delight in murder, intrigue, child sacrifice, the occult, demon/idol/spirit worship, and more. so it's fair to say that the Temple had been somewhat neglected for about 75 years (massaseh reigned 55 years, amon reigned 2, and then josiah reigned 18 before this point).

but during the cleaning and repairing of the Temple, hilkiah the priest comes across a Book. he is so excited he rushes to find shaphan the king's secretary and tell him, "dude, i found a Book." (2 kings 22:8, my words). these priests, who serve the Living God, and not the pagan idols, immediately recognize the treasure they are holding in their hands. they throw down their dusters, lysol and brooms and make the discovery known to the king, and the entire Book is read to him. and for the first time, the nation of judah is paying attention to their hands, their heads, what they do, where they go, who they listen to…

…because some of the words that made josiah's blood drain from his face were these: "you shall therefore lay up these words of Mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes… see, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD you God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known" (Deuteronomy 11:18, 26-28). 

by the time of Jesus, the jewish religious elite had taken these words so seriously that many of them literally tied little boxes- phylacteries- containing Bible verses to their hands and foreheads. even though it turned into a source of snobbish pride and comparison for many (the equivalent to comparing cars and houses was comparing numbers and sizes of their forehead boxes), it was a tangible reminder of those commands that God's people were to follow. what commands? the command to serve only the One True God, to love Him with everything they have, say, do; the commands to treat others with love and justice and mercy; the commands the Living Word to their children; the commands for how to have holy, righteous, glorious relationships and jobs and families and societies; the commands to saturate their lives with those living words- basically, the commands to do the exact opposite of what the past 3 or 4 generations of hebrews had done.

and how do you keep those commands? it's not by guessing. it's not by having "a sincere heart." it's not by meditating on positive thoughts, or even listening to those happy prosperity gospel preachers on tv. it's definitely not by shoving your Bible on a shelf for 75 years.

no, i am not recommending that you replace your soap with a box of Bible verses.

for the love of all that is righteous, wash your filthy hands and leave some toilet paper and sanitizer for other people, too. (you do realize that to not get sick, you need other people to also not be nasty and to wash their hands as well, right?) don't be ridiculous.

but i am saying that as long as society is all but shutting down for a while for a virus that can harm your physical body, you take the extra free time to pay attention to this other issue that can definitely damage your immortal soul.

there is absolutely no way to follow God, keep His commands, worship Him as He should be, or to raise a family well, or to serve God at your job or hobbies, if you ignore His Word. there just isn't. God, in His infinite wisdom and grace, chose to reveal Himself to us in these written Words, and promised Life everlasting to the ones who paid attention to them. if you hate reading, there a zillion apps that will read it to you for free. if you genuinely care about your soul, you will find the time, the motivation, the willpower, to do it. no, your salvation is not earned in any way by physically reading the Bible. but salvation is found there- in Jesus the Living Word, and in Him alone.

it's not all roses and sunshine. josiah was immediately convicted when he realized his own sin, and that of the people he was leading. he tore his robes and lamented. david was convicted like few we read about- and yet the Living Word kept drawing him back. the psalms he wrote tell just how much he relied on the Living Word that he met in the Bible, because even though he was reminded often of his sin, he was reminded also of the God who forgives even sinners like himself who turn to Him in true repentance, the God who breathes Life into dead bodies, makes bread for thousands fall from heaven every day for decades, and sent His own Son to bear the curse that was meant for us.

i'm telling you, even though conviction sucks like a vacuum, this Living Word will breathe into a life such vitality that one wonders if they were truly living before encountering Him.  Jesus Himself is the Living Word, the "Word made flesh," and the life He gives is one that no virus can affect in the least.

what's in a name

is there any more awkward moment when meeting a friend's new adorable baby and then trying to cover the look of horror that flashes across your face when the mother reveals his name? and i don't mean a normal, or trendy, or old-fashioned kind of name- i mean the name that is a collection of syllables with no recognized meaning or spelling.  or a normal name spelled incorrectly (like, on purpose, incorrectly) or identical to a sibling's name.  or the dad's favorite model of firearm.  or a heretic. yes.  oh, yes. 

names have a huge amount of significance in the Bible. very few of them were accidental or meaningless.  they bestowed blessings, or memorialized the birth or lineage of a child or carried the parents' wishes for his future.  they marked places where extraordinary or special events occurred or told who owned them.  (side note:  i've frequently wondered when reading through the Old Testament what the people did if 2 extraordinary events happened in the same place). but in any case, whether it was to preserve a memory or make a point or even a pun, names weren't generally given for no reason.  so when reading through stories, i've found it adds a layer of  things to think about the use of names and titles the author used- which is part of the inspiration from the Holy Spirit. 

the past few weeks have not been my favorite.  i don't know if i started this new year off much better than i did the last one, and if i said i have any more of my life figured out than back then, i'd be lying.  my favorite spot in front of the altar has been soaked with tears a couple times already, and it's…. yes, i've made it halfway through January.

but in the midst of a list of burdens i have been "blessed" with, i have also made it halfway through the book of Isaiah.  and just when i needed to be met with a reminder, a reminder came, in the form of a wonderful, wonderful story, with some truly spectacular names. 

it's been a favorite story of mine for some time, and on a day when i so needed a "reset," i was met by the same God that the main protagonist was.

travel back in time some 2700 (?) years or so- an age where indoor plumbing was inconceivable, "rich" meant owning 2 whole cloaks, and when the biggest army with chariots were all but guaranteed a victory.  the kingdom of Israel had split generations before into the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah.  the kingdom of Israel spiraled downward into idolatry and sin of the worst sort and was obliterated by Assyria, the people known for their delight in torture, murder, and insanely cruel practices in warfare.  the smaller kingdom of Judah hangs on, because just enough of their kings have just enough obedience to God and humility that they are simply teetering on the edge of destruction.  enter onto the scene the last king who cared about God, Hezekiah himself.  

after inheriting a kingdom in decline, with imminent doom forecasted by every honest prophet around,  the people within the city walls of Jerusalem awake to the sound they had been dreading: hundreds of chariot wheels and four hundred thousand-ish stomping feet of two hundred thousand-ish soldiers.  Assyria had come, ruled by Sennacherib (see? i told you these names were awesome!) who clearly had enough ego to feast on for a lifetime.  Assyria, because of its incredible army, was able to basically walk up and take over many of Judah's fortified cities. now they had come for the capital city Jerusalem and home of Solomon's Temple where Yahweh, God of Israel, dwelt above the Mercy Seat.  

in a world where every human was aware of the spiritual world, this could not have been worse news for Hezekiah.  every kingdom had its own deities, and it was common belief that if every there were a dispute between two of them, the bigger and better god would win. as Hezekiah hears of city after city being conquered by the approaching Assyrian force, he knows that the odds are not in his favor. not any of the odds.  barring a miracle, they're screwed.  done for.  toasted.

even worse, Assyria knows it, too, and they give all the credit to their god (who, come to find out later, is named Nisroch…. wth?!?!).

while the entire city hunkers down in terror,  the leader, or "the Rabshakeh" of the army (these names just get better and better, don't they?) delivers the ultimatum :  surrender, or die.  he "knows" what his god has helped their army do. he knows his army is superior.  and he also knows how to be a jerk.  to add insult to injury, the Rabshakeh repeatedly refuses to recognize Hezekiah's title of king as well as blaspheming Yahweh by comparing Him to all the other "deities" he has beaten. throughout the entire dialogue, you can see the underhanded insults he sneaks in, as the two sides compare the names of the other gods to Yahweh, and the names of the cities to Jerusalem, the King Sennacherib vs. the King Hezekiah.  

i think the worst part would be that at least 75% of what the Rabshakeh said was true.  on paper, Hezekiah has ZERO to boast about.  half his kingdom HAS been beaten.  Assyria HAS won.  Assyria HAS almost 200,000 soldiers right there.  those other gods LOST.  they were TRAPPED. seriously, what response could you give?

Hezekiah doesn't.  he doesn't reply anything.

he leaves his throne, puts on sackcloth and ashes, and walks straight over to the Temple.  he takes the Rabshakeh's "love letter" and puts it down on the floor in front of his God and says, "your problem now."

"O LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.  Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.  Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire.  For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone.  Therefore they were destroyed.  So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD" (Isaiah 37:15-20)

in English, the only way to differentiate the names in Hebrew was to play with grammar. so every time the name "LORD" is used in all caps, the Hebrew word is Yahweh- the name He gave to His own people when He established His relationship with them.  Hezekiah's response was to immediately go and tell Yahweh just how lousy things looked from below while he acknowledged the One who had a much higher viewpoint, at the same time as he boldly used the covenant name that identified him with God, and God with His people.  just like a kid in need of a parent, he brings the words that mock and blaspheme and ridicule and hurt, and he physically puts it on the ground in front of him and points to it in the Temple and demands the help from the only One who could save them.

i have several times felt the need to not just pray, but to follow Hezekiah's show and tell example.  there is something liberating about not just saying words, but going through the action- of taking the paper with a diagnosis, or the phone with a harmful text or post, a picture of an unsaved person, a symbol of something you can't let go- and coming to the altar and setting it down before Him.   having done this before, i can testify to the freedom and relief that comes from truly releasing control and submitting to the all-powerful.  i have been facing what feels like an army of lies for too long.  every time it looks like it has retreated, it's only to surge back with reinforcements.  like a stupid Rabshakeh behind my shoulder whispering in my ear,  a nonstop cycle of partial truths and whole lies has been spinning around in my head.  i'm under no illusions that i alone can overcome the proverbial army facing me.  somehow, even though i'm 100% most of it is a lie, some of it isn't.  i have been struck down. i've hit the floor more times i can count.  i've done more wrong than right, and have absolutely no excuse for the wreckage behind me.  "but God…" by myself, there really is no hope. but when i come before the throne of grace and call on the only Name i need, there is an overabundance of hope.

if Hezekiah's prayer is my favorite part of the story, a close second is the ending. after humbly praying for God's salvation, God replies. "watch this," He says.  the next morning, 185,000 Assyrian soldiers are dead. dear old Rabshakeh gets called back home and Sennacherib goes to his own temple to pray to his own god.  seizing an opportunity, his own sons Adrammelech and Sharezer took him out.  i'm sure it had nothing to do with being given such horrible names… or maybe a little.  i wouldn't blame them.  like they were nothing more than an afterthought, God wipes away an army, sends their champion home in shame and puts their blasphemously proud king six feet under.  no name a man gives himself compares to the only true God. His name is Yahweh, Adonai, Immanuel, El-Elyon, God Most High, Lord of hosts.  

"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; i will protect him, because he knows My name.  when he calls to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him; with long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation" (Psalm 91:14-16).

do you know this name?