The day had begun peacefully enough.  Yakov (pronounced Yah-cove) had brought the herd out to one of his favorite hillsides as there was still enough growth for them to graze on there.  The sky was its usual vibrant blue and the Judean Hills a soft tan with patches of green.  Once in a while an Acacia tree sprung up on one of the hillsides and Yakov’s spot had one of the largest, although he laughed thinking about the scrub-like stature of his tree being “large”.  Spring in this area meant mild but brisk weather and he loved the solitude of the shepherd’s life the most on these days.  But by the time he gathered the herd to return to the fold, he could tell the weather was changing and it was changing quickly.  No sooner than he had entered the passage between two hills just before camp, the wind kicked up and the soil swirled in the currents making it hard to see.  He wrapped part of his cloak around his face and hoped he could make it just a little further for half way through the pass he knew of a cave which could offer them shelter until the winds died down.
            Have you ever been caught in a severe storm?  Once when Jeff and I were returning from visiting our family in Western New York State we drove into a rainstorm where the water was so thick it was as if we were driving through a car wash rinse cycle- for two hours!  I’ll never forget how relieved I was when we came out of the other side of that storm!  Life can often feel like a major storm.  The causes of the storms we experience are varied.  Some of us deal with storms which are completely out of our control.  Others deal with the aftermath of choices once made that now kick up the soil of life around us and we hope we can make it to a place of safety before it’s too late.  No matter where the storms come from, their unexpected nature causes us to feel vulnerable, weak and in desperate need of help.  Who do we call for help?  Where do we look for shelter in the storm?
            In the days of Isaiah, the people of Israel must have felt like they were living in the midst of a tumultuous storm.  No matter which horizon they looked toward, an enemy threatened to invade and overtake the land.  In the midst of that storm the prophet Isaiah chooses to remember God’s strength and ability to protect His people (Is. 25).  Most importantly Isaiah proclaims to the people that should the storm overtake them (which was a frequent result of Israel’s geographical location in the Fertile Crescent and also due to their failure to keep the Covenant), that God Himself was their best defense in times of trouble.  Israel’s vulnerable position is described in verse 4.  The people are helpless and needy.   The word helpless (dahl) was often used to designate poor and oppressed people that God had a special concern for (Jb. 34:28; Ps. 82:3; Prov. 22:22).  Their antithesis was the powerful and influential (Jer. 5:4).  Weak and powerless, they needed an advocate.   They are also needy, a word depicting someone who is in need of material goods, such as food and clothing.  The Lord watched over these people with special care (Jb. 5:15; Ps. 9:18; 12:5; 40:17; Jer. 5:28; 20:13).
            The imagery of Isaiah’s storm is violent and sudden, and it is drawn right out of the typical storms which would spring up in the land.  It is a cloudburst (serem) that is ruthless (ariys) much like that storm which pounded my windshield for two hours straight as we drove home.  Isaiah’s wind dashes against a wall.  The wind of this storm is described as ruah, breath.  While this word can be used to describe a person’s essence or inner life, it is also used many times to describe the wind which blows across the land as well as the strength of “wind” it takes for a glass blower to produce a shape at the end of his stick.  Persons caught within the force of such a wind are utterly incapable of surviving it.
            But there is hope for God’s people when they are faced with insurmountable storms.  God is “a defense” for the helpless and needy.  He is a “refuge” from the storm and “shade” when there is intense heat (Is. 25:4).  As a defense, God is like a fortress (2 Sam. 22:32; Nah. 3:11) and a shelter for protection (Neh. 8:10; Ps. 27:1).  This imagery most likely reminded the people of Masada, the great desert fortress which rises up from the Dead Sea basin.  Until the Romans built a massive siege ramp to overtake it, Masada was literally impenetrable.  As a refuge (mahseh) God is a place of safety.  Although His people may be in a tight-squeeze, surrounded by enemies as described by the word for “distress”, they will find security and safety with God (Ps. 14:6; 46:1-2; 61:3; 62:7; 71:7:73:28: Prov. 14:26; Jer. 17:17; Jl. 3:16).  The shade He offers is the cool respite found under the leaves of tree on a hot summer’s day; a place of refreshment for those who trust Him (Ps. 121:5; Is. 49:2).  So why do we seek shelter and refuge in anything other than Him?  The next time you are facing an unexpected storm, remember Isaiah’s words.  The relief you are looking for can only be found in the Lord.
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
Week of 2/27/2016

            Wedding preparations are underway in my family.  I have a niece who is getting married this year.  According to my sister, Abby is very focused and has a timetable to get all the preparations done.  What is striking to me is how involved grooms have become in this process.  According to Tietheknot.com, grooms should pitch-in on choosing the guest list, the wedding date and venue, pick their groomsmen, put together a “do not play” list for the DJ, find a tux, help book the honeymoon, and get a ring (really?!).  That’s a big change from my era.  My husband and I picked out our rings, our honeymoon spot (very low-key!) and his tux together.  But the rest of the wedding plans were taken care of by my mother and me and I must confess my mother did most of the grunt work.
            Wedding plans in Biblical times were much different than the ones we have today.  After a groom had made his proposal to the bride’s parents and a gift had been given in exchange for her hand in marriage, the groom went off to build a home while the bride and her attendants waited.  No one knew when the groom would return, but everyone was aware that it could be at any moment, so each moment was lived as if it was “the moment”.  When the groom was ready to bring his bride home, he would surprise her with a trumpet blast and one of his friends would shout, “Behold the bridegroom comes!”  A happy procession to the groom’s house would then begin a 7 day feast celebrating the nuptials.
            In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus uses imagery from the wedding ceremony to illustrate one of His titles, the Bridegroom.  He does this in a parable.  Parables are short stories which teach a spiritual truth.  In this parable a wedding is underway.  The groom is off building the home and the bride’s attendants are awaiting his return.  The wait has been long and the bridesmaids have nodded-off and are now fast asleep.  Some people have read all kinds of spiritual implications into this scenario but the language in the parable indicates sleep was to be expected.  No one can stay awake 24/7.  However, conventional wisdom has caused five of the weary bridesmaids to make sure they are prepared for the groom’s return no matter when it happens.  They have set aside an extra supply of oil.  Once again, many have read all kinds of spiritual conclusions into this but that is stretching the parable too far.
            The crux of the principle here centers around one verb, eido (ee-doe), to know.  It begins with a simple comparison.  Five attendants are prudent (some versions use the word wise which is a bit more academic than what phronimos- fronimus- really intends).  They are the practical ones.  They are the ones who keep all the emergency equipment one might need in the trunk of the car, just in case.  They always have a supply of canned goods in the pantry just in case a storm makes the roads impassible.  Five attendants are foolish.  This word does not mean stupid.  Instead we might call them lazy.  These attendants knew the bridegroom would be returning but they just didn’t feel like planning ahead.  They are like the folks who are told a storm is coming in and the power might go out, but neglect to get batteries and extra water just in case.  They neglect it because they don’t want to expend the energy getting ready.
            In the end the foolish attendants miss out on being admitted to the wedding feast as they are off buying oil when the bridegroom leads the procession off to his home.  Here is where the second use of the verb “to know” appears.  This verb means the kind of knowing that is more than just an accumulation of data.  It implies a cognitive knowing- an understanding that occurs because one has interacted with what is known.  It is better translated as “to perceive”.  The bridegroom has had no interaction with the foolish attendants because they have not taken the promise of his return seriously.  By not believing the bridegroom’s promise, they demonstrated they had no relationship with him.  Therefore the bridegroom claims, “I do not know you”.
            The final time “to know” is used comes in Jesus’ conclusion at the end of the parable and its principle, “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day or the hour”.  While we may not have the inside track on when Jesus will return, if we truly believe that Jesus Our Bridegroom is going to return, then how we spend the time waiting for Him demonstrates whether we know Him or not.  Are we prudent attendants or do our actions place us in the same camp as the foolish ones?  It is a sobering thought that deserves our full attention as the trumpet blast could happen at any moment (Mt. 24:31; 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thes. 4:16).  Be on the alert, be wise; live each moment as if it is “the moment”.
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div. 
Week of 2/21/2016

            The course of true love never runs smoothly.  Love will find a way.  Love at first sight.  Love makes the world go ‘round.  Love means never having to say you’re sorry.  Love is blind.  Love isn’t love until you give it away.  All is fair in love and war.  All you need is love; love is all you need.  Love is a rose (but you’d better not pick it).  Love is a many-splendid thing.  Love conquers all.  Love is the poetry of the senses.  Love is a game that two can play and both win.  Forget love; I’d rather fall in chocolate!  Love, love, love.  Smile- God loves you!
            With all the advice gurus and celebrity experts out there, you’d think we really would know what love is.  Everybody seems to have an opinion or definition.  But there really is only One True Authority on love and that is the author of love Himself.  “God is love” writes the apostle John in 1 John 4:8.  And while many of us like to quote that passage we are vaguely aware of what surrounds it (1 Jn. 4:7-11).  Those passages clearly define love in relationship to God Himself.  It is not only the love He demonstrates towards us.  It is the same love we are to demonstrate toward one another.
            This concept of love is deeply embedded in the Old Testament.  The Hebrew word for this love is hesed.  While it is often translated as loving-kindness, there really is no single English equivalent for the word.  It is easier to describe it.  Hesed is extending oneself to another in friendship when they are in need whether or not those actions will be returned.  And more importantly, whether they are a friend or not.  The classic passage illustrating this word is Psalm 136 where it is used 26 times to proclaim that God’s kindness and love is eternal.  Hesed serves as the foundation for both God’s character and His actions.  It underlies His goodness (v. 1).  It is why He is without dispute the Sovereign Lord (vv. 2-3), the basis for His creation (vv. 4-9), redemption (vv. 10-15), guidance (v. 16), the reason He defeated Israel’s enemies and gave them the land (vv. 17-22), and more.         Imitating God’s love (1 Jn. 4:11) is also not limited to the New Testament.  We read in the Old Testament that in view of God’s hesed His people were also to display His kindness and faithfulness to each other (1 Sam. 20:13-15; Prov. 19:22) and especially toward the poor, weak, and needy (Jer. 22:3; Mic. 6:8).  God was always looking for people who would demonstrate this kind of piety, faithfulness and kindness (Dt. 10:12-19; 2 Chr. 35:26; Amos 5:21-24) and desired this behavior above ritualistic adherence to the Law (Is. 1:11-17; Hos. 6:6; 1 Sam. 15:22).
            John writes that the love we show toward one another is actually evidence that God is at work and living in us.   He states that “everyone who loves is born of God” (1 Jn. 4:7).  When we demonstrate love to others it is similar to the way children resemble their parents.  The love we are able to demonstrate comes from our “Spiritual Father”.  John also says that everyone who demonstrates love “knows God”.  This verb means both to know in a beginning sense (to gain or receive knowledge) or in a completed sense (that is to have knowledge or have learned it).  John is saying that our ability to love only comes from having learned it from God.
            How do we learn what love really is?  John tells us it is by recognizing how God loves us.  God’s love is visible and conspicuous (v. 9); shown in the act of sending His Son into the world so that we might live through Him.  This life is in contrast to something that is dead.  In other words, the life that comes to us through God’s love is active and lively, literally on-going.  It appears in several word pictures throughout the New Testament:  we are to be a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1), living stones (1 Pet. 2:4-5), partake of the living water (Jn. 4:10), and read the Living Word (Heb. 4:12).  When we love others we are visibly and conspicuously demonstrating the same love we recognize that God has given and continues to give to us.
            This love is even more tightly connected to hesed than we may at first recognize.  In the same way that hospitality or help would be extended to anyone in need (Dt. 24:17-22; Prov. 19:17) because of the many times God extended help to Israel when the nation really needed it (Ps. 78:15-16, 23-29), God has exceeded this by sending His Son to save us from sin when we did not deserve it (Rom. 5:8; 1 Jn. 4:10).
            It is easy to love people who love us back.  It is not easy to love people who hurt us or respond with indifference.  The popular culture of today even considers cutting people down or mocking their short-comings and faults as acceptable.  It saddens me to hear and see Christians fall into this trap.  How will the world know there is anything different about God’s love if we are imitating them more often than we are imitating Him?  This is what John writes to us, “You who are loved by God, if you know that God has loved you in this way, you should be acting in the same way toward each other” (v.11).  So, are you?
Ann H. LeFevre , M. Div. 
Week of 2-14-2016

            I might be dating myself here, but I remember from my childhood how Saturday mornings were something quite special.  My dad usually made breakfast for us (to this day no one has ever made better pancakes than him!) and then we were allowed to watch the Saturday morning cartoons for a little while.  My favorite cartoon was Mighty Mouse.  The plots usually involved “Pearl Pureheart” getting herself into some sort of fix.  The villain, a nasty cat named Oil Can Harry, would capture her and tie her up to some train tracks.  As the train barreled towards her she would cry out for help and then suddenly the hero would appear proclaiming, “Here I come to save the day!”   Mighty Mouse, with his hand stretched upward in a fist would swoop into the scene, give Oil Can Harry a whopping blow to the chin and untie Pearl just in the knick of time!
            The need for a hero to save the day lasts throughout our lifetime, although as we grow older our definition of a hero might change or broaden.  While it is more than a fictional cartoon the Bible teaches us that the human condition is somewhat similar to Pearl Pureheart’s predicament.  The villain is not as simple as the Oil Can Harry character though and we are not tied up to the train tracks per se.  It is Sin which holds us captive, we are in dire straits and there is no escape (Mt. 19:24-26; Jn. 8:34; Rom. 6:6, 16-17; 2 Tim. 2:26).  But who will come to our aid?  As the train of “judgment” barrels towards us, we wait for a Hero to call out, “Here I come to save the day!”  In Romans 10:8-13 the apostle Paul proclaims that that hero is Jesus Christ who is Lord.
            Like Pearl who must call out for Mighty Mouse to come save her, it is necessary for us to call upon Jesus.  Paul says that we must “confess with our mouth” and “believe in our heart” that Jesus is Lord (v. 9).  This confession is not merely a mental recognition of fact, it is an audible proclamation of what is true:  Jesus is Lord.  Belief is also involved.  Once again, this is not just something we know as a fact.  For example, it is not that I know the sun is still shining even on a cloudy day because I’ve flown in an airplane through a cloud barrier and have seen it with my own eyes.  It is because I believe it is shining whether I can see it or not. Confession and belief partner together with a combined result.  First, confession brings about salvation (v.l0) and faith produces righteousness (that is a restored relationship with God).  Simply put when we cry out in faith for our Hero Jesus Christ we are saved (vv. 9, 13).  We are no longer destined to bear the punishment for our sin (1 Cor. 5:10, 21).  Instead we are destined for eternity with Him (1 Thes. 4:17).
            But why is the title Lord used here instead of the one meaning Savior?  A little Bible history is helpful in this case.  The Greek word for Lord, kurios (pronounced cure-ree-oss) is often used for the name Yahweh in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament Scriptures dated from the time of Ptolemy II (3 B. C.).  In fact when Paul is quoting Deuteronomy 30:4, Isaiah 28:16, and Joel 2:32 in this passage he is quoting them from the Septuagint as does Jesus when He quotes the Old Testament throughout the Gospels.  This is because Greek was the common language of New Testament times (much like English could be considered the common language of business today).  Once we understand the history it is easier to see the connection.  Yahweh was the Savior of the Old Testament.  He saved Noah from the flood (Gen. 7:16).  He saved Israel from Pharaoh’s army (Ex. 14:21-31).  He saved them in the time of the judges (Jud. 2:16).  He saved kings who obeyed Him and prophets who proclaimed Him (Ps. 18:1-3; Jer. 15:19-21). He saved Daniel in the lion’s den (Dan. 6) and Jonah from the belly of a great fish (Jon. 2:1-9).  And the list goes on!  So it is no surprise that this Name is associated with the greatest saving act of all (Gal. 4:3-5), the one that assured your eternal salvation (Rom. 5:6; 1 Pet. 3:18).
            While the popular culture of my childhood had no trouble putting cartoon characters into peril where only one super hero could save them, our culture today is less likely to remind us we need a Lord and Savior.  We take pride in being self-made and self-sufficient.  Ironically, the psychiatric and counseling professions are filled with patients who struggle with failures and addictions they know they are incapable of conquering alone.  There is a huge relief in knowing that no matter how large or small your foe may be that when you call upon the Name of the Lord (Rom. 10:13) the Savior will respond!  While some physical mishaps could befall us, it is often the result of our own choices.  But in terms of salvation, we will never be disappointed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ (v.11).  Human heroes come and go in popularity, but for those who believe and confess by faith that Jesus is Lord an abundance of spiritual riches await (v.12).
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.                                                                                                       
Week of 2/7/2016