Talking animals in the Bible

Today I came upon a familiar passage about a talking donkey once again and decided to drill a little deeper. I was reading Numbers 22. The background to this story is that Israel, after wandering in the dessert for almost 40 years, was beginning its conquest to take over the promise land. They began East of river Jordan by defeating the Canaanite king of Arad, Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan (Numbers 21). Here they encamped along river Jordan across from the city of Jericho, Balak king of Moab was naturally frightened. He decided to call on Balaam to put a curse on his enemies. Now Balaam must have been a famous spiritual guru around that region who perform divination for a fee (Numbers 22:7).

Now the first interesting thing I observed is that this non-Jewish, money making soothsayer/sorcerer, was actually communicating with the Jewish God (the Lord) quite regularly (verse 8). In fact he was normally quite obedient to God's command (verse 13). So when God said no, Balaam refused Balak's request to put a curse on God's people, despite the handsome reward and most certainly the treat that came with refusing the king's request. This story is another affirmation that God speaks to his creation in various ways (see Romans 1:18-20).

The second interesting and quite puzzling thing I observed is that when Balak offered a second request with a bigger reward (and likely a bigger threat for refusal) and when God told Balaam to agree to go, he was opposed by God's angel along the way. So did God want him to go or not? I think the talking donkey provided the answer! (I won't go into the question how I can believe that a donkey can talk. I think the answer is similar to believing in any miracle. The article "Talking Snakes, Donkeys, and Believing the Bible" gives a good treatment on that.)

The article "Balaam and the Donkey" showed me these interesting points:

• Balaam knew God and carried out his commands, but he was an evil man, driven by money rather than love of God.
• The angel threatened Balaam because Balaam was obeying God in his actions, but in his heart he was rebelling, thinking only of the bribe.
• The "oracles" of Balaam in Numbers correspond to the blessings God promised to Abraham: Israel will be as numerous as the dust of the earth; the Lord is with Israel; Israel will inherit the promised land; Israel will crush Moab, and from the Jews will come a Messiah.
• Numbers 31:16 reveals that Balaam enticed the Israelites to turn from God and worship idols.
• The fact that the angel asked Balaam the same question as the donkey indicates that the Lord was speaking through the donkey.

The third and perhaps the most interesting observation from Numbers 22 is why was Balaam not shocked when the donkey spoke to him? This article "Did Balaam's donkey really talk to him?" gave me something to reflect on:

"Why was Balaam not shocked into silence by the donkey speaking to him? Surely, it must have come as a surprise to him, and under normal circumstances, the obvious reaction would be for him to at least ask how she came to be speaking. The Bible doesn’t tell us why he didn’t find it odd to be addressed by a donkey, but we do know something about his state of mind. First, he was in rebellion against the Lord, going to Balak for his own purposes and not those of the Lord. Second, the donkey’s refusal to continue down the path enraged him so that he beat her out of anger because she had mocked him and made a fool of him. Anger has a way of curtailing rational thought, and perhaps he was so intent on exerting his dominance over the animal that he lost the ability to think clearly. It wasn’t until the angel opened Balaam’s eyes to see reality that he relented in his anger against the donkey, listened to the angel, and repented. Verse 38 tells us that Balaam went to Balak and told the king, “I must speak only what God puts in my mouth," which just goes to show that God can use anyone, even a donkey and a rebellious prophet, to do His will and speak His truth."

So what have I learned today? I probably see God's miracles every single day. The fact that I am in a "healing" business should give me plenty of examples of seeing God's miraculous work. It may not be animal talking or manna from the sky, but human body itself is a work of wonder (see Psalm 139:14 and a very nice book "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" by Philip Yancey and Dr. Paul Brand). How do I react to these wonders? When I hear God's voice, do I obey? Are my thoughts consistent with my actions? When I obey God am I doing it grudgingly or out of love for him?

Thank you Lord for the lesson I learned today, from a talking donkey!

The Lord watches over you

I have been memorizing Psalm 121. I have been impressed by the number of times the term "watches over" is used in this one Psalm.

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

The term "watch/watches/watched/watching over" appeared 43 times in the bible (NIV translation). It is used almost exclusively in the Old Testament in relationship to God watching over his people. It is used a couple of times as God being a "watchman", or that he has placed a "watch" over his people. In the New Testament, it is often used to exhort pastors and leaders of the church to watch over their "flocks".

A good way to understand the meaning of a bible term is to read a variety of translations. For example, in Genesis 28:15 (the context of this verse is God renewing his covenant with Jacob, the same covenant he made with Abraham and Isaac), using the Biblehub.com to get the parallel translations, I get a number of concepts closely tied with being "watched over":

• (NIV) I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.
• (NLT, NET) I will protect you...
• (ESV, NASB, KJB...most translations) I will keep you...

Another good way to drill a little deeper for a bible term is to use a bible dictionary. For example, the meaning of the term "watch over" in Psalm 1:6 is explained in Luminated.net:
"For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction."

The Hebrew word used in this verse is "Yada". It can mean "to know (NAS95, ESV, KJV..), to guard (NET) or to watch over (NIV, HCSB and many others)". (AMP - amplified) translates it this way:
"For the Lord knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly [those living outside God's will] shall perish (end in ruin and come to nought)."
But (The Message) and (BBE) is different:
(MESSAGE) GOD charts the road you take. The road they take is Skid Row.
(BBE) Because the Lord sees the way of the upright, but the end of the sinner is destruction.

To summarize, this is what I have learned from being "watched over" by the Lord - the Maker of heaven and earth:

• This is God's promise and he will see to it until it is accomplished.
• God knows me. He knows all my needs. He will chart the course that is best for me.
• He will keep me and will never leave me or forsake me.
• He will protect and guard me against my enemies.
• He who watches over me will neither slumber nor sleep! He is with me all the way and at all times!

The best love story on Valentine's Day

"About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)."(Matthews 27:46)

I read today the crucifixion event according to Matthews. Mark's gospel recorded a slightly different word - “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (Mark 15:34) but is translated into the same message in English. (lavistachurchofchrist.org gave a very clear explanation of why there is a difference between the two writers and why Jesus' cry may have been a fulfillment of a prophecy in Psalms 22:1).

So this is the best love story of all time:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). This love comes with a very big price. Not only does God the Father have to give up His one and only Son, the Son Himself experienced not only the physical pain of the crucifixion, but the emotional pain of being forsaken by His loving Father.

A month before my father's death, he wrote me a portion of the famous scripture chapter on love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

He wrote it on a traditional Chinese calligraphy scroll. I was not home at the time. His health was failing rapidly. According to my brother he made many drafts, only two of which did not contain errors. I received a copy (see photo) and my younger brother received the other copy. He wrote it to encourage us in our faith journey. To my knowledge he never made an open profession to become a Christian but I'd like to think that these words he wrote had touched him deeply.

So on this Valentine's day, what have I learned to love the way Jesus loves the world? Philippians 2:1-8 reminded me (and I will commit it to memory):
"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross! "

Now learn this lesson from the fig tree

Matthew 24 is not an easy scripture passage to understand. It concerns the destruction of the Jerusalem temple and the signs of the end times. Despite Jesus' unambiguous statement "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (verse 36), there have been ongoing speculations of when Jesus will return, especially when wars and natural disasters strike. What then should be our attitude while we wait for this unexpected event? Jesus told us to learn from the fig tree:
"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (verses 32- 35)

It is important to know that this sermon was one of the last sermons Jesus gave to his disciples. Jesus had been telling his disciples that his earthly mission was to suffer at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders and that he would eventually be killed and raised to life on the third day (Matthews 16:21). In response to his disciples' praise of the magnificent temple in Jerusalem (verse 1, Mark 13:1, and Luke 21:5), Jesus therefore reminded them (and predicted) that this earthly monument would soon be completely destroyed (verse 2).

D.A. Carson wrote:
"This must have been shocking to the disciples. They thought the Messiah was going to save Jerusalem and the temple, not allow both to be destroyed. As Jesus spoke of these things, the disciples must have thought about the end of gentile rulership and the glory of Israel, both which are prophesied so many times in the Hebrew Scriptures. They knew these events would occur at "the time of the end" (Daniel 8:17; 11:35, 40; 12:4, 9). It was at this time that the Messiah would appear or "come" to usher in the kingdom of God. This meant Israel would arise to national greatness as the spearhead of that kingdom."

So a little later when they were sitting on the Mount of Olives, over-looking Jerusalem and its temple buildings, his disciples asked Jesus (there were essentially three questions in verse 3):

1. When will these temple buildings be destroyed?
2. What will be the sign of Jesus' coming?
3. What will be the sign of the end of the age?

Jesus' answers to these questions:

1. Jerusalem and its temple will be destroyed in their generation (verse 34). Indeed Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70 just as Jesus predicted.
2. The disciples were wrong to associate Jesus' coming with his "coming out" as the Messiah. Indeed Jesus will come again (his second coming) and "the sign" will be associated with his second coming, and not with the destruction of the temple.
3. The end of the age is not associated with the destruction of Jerusalem but it is some time in the future. No one knows when it will be, not even Jesus (verse 36).

D.A. Carson wrote:
"Rather than answering the disciples' questions on their terms, Jesus used the occasion to teach them three important things. One, he taught them that the scenario they were asking about was much more complicated than their simplistic notions. Two, they could not know when Jesus would "come," or as we would say, "return." Three, they should worry about or "watch" their relationship with God and not worry about "watching" world or local events."

This chapter is still very difficult to understand with its allusion to events that are certainly unfamiliar with us in modern times. But it is clear to me that (1) Jesus predicted the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the second temple (not the one King Solomon built); (2) His messiahship, i.e. he saved us from our sins by dying on the cross; his kingdom is not an earthly kingdom; (3) He is coming again to reign - accompanied by a new heaven and a new earth. I look forward to his coming. I enjoy now his spiritual presence and relationship while I watch and wait for the great day! I don't think there is a fig tree around where I live but I will look at any tree in the spring time to remind myself as certainly as leaves will come forth in the summer, Jesus is coming soon!

The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve

Jesus said these words following the request of his two disciples (James and John, sons of Zebedee) to be his left and right hand men in the future kingdom (Matthews 20:20-28). No doubt they were thinking of an earthly kingdom. They had seen Jesus' authority and power (feeding the five thousand, walking on water, healing the sick in Matthews 14, just to name a few). They also had experienced the power they were given (healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons etc - see my last two blogs on Matthews 10). They were committed to go all the way with Jesus. They were convinced that they were able to "drink the cup Jesus was about to drink" (verse 22). I am assuming that James and John understood what this "cup" Jesus was talking about. The Sacred Page has a very good article on "the cup of Jesus". I wonder if they were thinking the cup was the cup of suffering and judgement (Psalms 75:8), or the cup of triumph and blessings (Psalms 23:5). They shall discover much later...

Anyway, they felt they deserved to be ahead of the pack. The other ten disciples were mad at these two for wanting to be singled out. They wanted in also. Then Jesus explained to all twelve of them this great truth:

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

What a completely opposite world view!! The world is telling us to get ahead for the purpose of controlling others. We are to put ourselves in a servanthood (slavery) position. The lower we make ourselves the greater we are to our Lord and our heavenly Father! Jesus has done it. He shows us how to do it. As a result, Jesus sets us free from the real bondage - he has paid the ransom for us - his life for the price for our freedom. What a concept! We won't know if it's true until we try it. Take His word for it!

"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:1-11)

Jesus' instructions to the twelve apostles - part II

Here I am in historic Charleston, South Carolina for the conference Mere Anglicanism. Listening to John Lennox speak last night was a real treat. What a bright mind who is used by God to challenge the wave of atheism that is so prevalent in our society! Just finished listening to Alvin Plantinga arguing why Naturalism and Evolution can not be compatible. He is a real legend and defender of the faith. I praised God as I watched this man in his 80's still with such a brilliant mind. I only wished my understanding of philosophy was good enough to absorb all he was explaining to me. I have much more to look forward to this weekend. Thank you Lord for this opportunity!

So I will begin where I left off last week - Matthews 10. This is the commissioning sermon before Jesus sent his special disciples (the 12 apostles) to proclaim the good news to the surrounding towns. The good news message was "the kingdom of heaven has come near" (verse 7)! The "telling" was to be accompanied by the "doing" of good works: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." (verse 8). I noticed that what they were able to give to others came from what they already had freely received.

Biblestudytools.com helps me understand Jesus' instructions to the twelve:
"This directory divides itself into three distinct parts. The first part ( Matthew 10:5-15 ) contains directions for the brief and temporary mission on which they were now going forth, with respect to the places they were to go to, the works they were to do, the message they were to bear, and the manner in which they were to conduct themselves. The second part ( Matthew 10:16-23 ) contains directions of no such limited and temporary nature, but opens out into the permanent exercise of the Gospel ministry. The third part ( Matthew 10:24-42 ) is of wider application still, reaching not only to the ministry of the Gospel in every age, but to the service of Christ in the widest sense. It is a strong confirmation of this threefold division, that each part closes with the words, "VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU" ( Matthew 10:15 Matthew 10:23 Matthew 10:42 )."

Using this as the basic framework to understand Jesus' instructions to the apostles, and to me in modern time, let me see if I can apply this to my situation.

First (based on verses 5-15), I am to reach out to those who are believers immediately around me. I should not worry about how I am to be supported, financially, or any aspect of livelihood. Look for "worthy" persons or "deserving" homes to form meaningful relationships. They too are accountable to God.

Secondly (based on verses 16-23), there will be enemies and strong oppositions as I attempt to reach out to unbelievers (gentiles) and the confused (Samaritans). I need to be wise and be on guard. There may be persecutions but God through his Spirit will enable me to speak. Relationship will be affected and I may not be popular. I need to know when to move on to someone else. God is the judge! I totally can relate to this in my work place and I thank God all the more for this conference where I gain wisdom to be more prepared:
"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect"
(1 Peter 3:15)

Thirdly (based on verses 24-42), on the broader perspectives of my mission I need to remember:

• He is God and I am not! Jesus is the teacher and master. I am the student and his servant. He is in charge and not the devil.
• Do not be afraid - and he said it three times! Don't be afraid of those who may talk in my back. God will reveal the truth in due time. Don't be afraid who may harm us. They can't touch my soul! Always remember that God is the judge at the end. Don't be afraid about anything. God knows me well and will supply all my needs.
• Acknowledge God before others knowing that Jesus will be acknowledging me before my heavenly father! Even though sometimes I won't be well received. What Jesus has done for us is according to God's plan. His message of salvation goes against our sinful nature to want to create our own gods. Jesus' message will always divide. "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18). 
• Put Jesus first. I can't say better than this: "Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it."
• We will be welcomed too - first by other believers and finally by God himself, and with my reward in heaven! And the reward won't depend on how big of a job I do for him - "And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Jesus' instructions to the twelve apostles

I recently read Matthews 10 and was struck by the details Jesus instructed his twelve special disciples whom he called apostles for the first time. The word apostle from Greek is apostolos, which means messenger, or from apostellein, which means to send off (which was later translated into Latin as missio, the source of the English "missionary"). Matthew spent the whole chapter to record Jesus' instructions to his apostles before sending them off (Mark's Gospel has a shorter version but highlighted that Jesus sent them out two by two to towns in Galilee - Mark 6:7-13). He gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. This is particularly relevant to me since my vocation involves the "healing" of disease and sickness. I have never driven out impure spirits in the sense of casting out demonic forces in other people's lives but  I take this to mean helping people see the "light" of Jesus. This is similar to Paul's understanding of Jesus' call to him in Acts 26:18 "I am sending you to them (gentiles, or non-Jews) to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’"

For Jesus' disciples, Matthew recorded the famous "Sermon on the Mount" in chapters 5 to 7. The sermon describes what the perfect kingdom of God looks like. It's like a roadmap for us as a community of believers - showing us how to relate to each other and to the world. Chapter 10, the "Sermon for the Apostles" focuses more on how we relate to those to whom God sends us with the gospel which is nicely summed up in Psalm 103:2-5
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Who are these apostles (see a good reverence)? Their names are "Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him." (verses 2-4). There is an interesting comparison of the "list" between the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) in Wikipedia. Of these, four (Andrew and Peter, James and John) were known to be fishermen by trade. Matthew, who was the only apostle whose ancestor was from the priesthood tribe (Levi),  was a tax collector. Tax collectors were generally despised by the Scribes and the Pharisees as greedy and corrupt, since they collected taxes from the Jews for King Herod Antipas, the client ruler of the great Roman empire, while reaping a profit in the process. It is interesting to see how this rich tax collector, who should have been a priest, became the early missionary to a people who despised him. It most certainly required "power from above" for sure! Simon the Zealot was a radical and a revolutionary against the ruling Romans. Little else is known about him but it's interesting to imagine someone who changed from wanting to make change by force to someone doing it with love! And then of course there is Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and hanged himself when he became remorseful with what he had done. Did he not also receive power from Jesus to do good to those he was sent to? Or did he get corrupted along the way by the fact that he was the treasurer of the new Jesus movement and he didn't like doing good without proper return on investment? Hard to say but it's definitely a caution for me (see my work with OSCAR).

This blog is getting too long already. I will do another one on Jesus' instructions in Matthew 10.