DIVORCE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT

 

DIVORCE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT

I misunderstood about God's full and complete attitude toward divorce until I lived it and until I read Malachi 2-3 and learned in Jeremiah 3:8 that even God divorced. I hung on for 30 years in my marriage thinking I had no excuse for divorce. In fact, I had one all along.

First of all, divorce is not the only sin. While you are in a toxic marriage, all of these other sins are piling up: hate, rage, putting oneself first and only, turmoil, disharmony, arrogance, neglect, emotional abuse, etc.

Malachi calls emotional abuse a cloak of violence. It is not where blows are thrown. It is what we now call passive aggression. The spouse is hurt in a deeper way than from thrown fists. Malachi refers to the man as the aggressor and says he covers who he really is with a cloak when he is really a man of violence -- passive violence. Malachi 2:16 KJV – “For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith … “for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore, take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.” He does violence to the one he should protect. (Malachi 2:16) God hates divorce because He wants godly children (Malachi 2:15) and He is robbed of them through divorce.

Daily emotional abuse affects the victim’s health. The body is a temple, God’s temple. It is considered sacred and is to be protected and cared for. If it isn’t, all kinds of diseases and ailments arise – one right after the other. The temple begins to decay, even die. Some ailments can be treated, some not.

This is not what God intended for His children. He is the author of peace and love. He believes in putting the other’s needs first and in self-sacrifice. He believes in generosity, kindness and patience. Add to that honesty, trust, and respect. The big “D” sin if elevated to the worst one while all these other sins are piling up. To my mind, it is straining at a gnat but swallowing a camel. There is so much more to consider about divorce than what we are being told at church. We need to study the issue at home in depth.

Jeremiah 3:8-10 tells how God divorced Judah for her adulteries. Were the adulteries physical? Of course not; they were in the form of passive violence and the ultimate betrayal against God. He was betrayed, dishonored, neglected and disobeyed. He offered forgiveness upon repentance, but that is another day's discussion when it comes to the emotionally beaten-down spouse. My final thought: There is more depth in the Bible about the subject of divorce. We just have to uncover it. In the meantime, choose your words of advice carefully. A person’s health or even their life may be at stake.

And don't ever think that you are no longer useful to the church or that your sin is bigger than anyone else's. Let God guide your life and you will be fine, even if, like in my case, He guided me right out of the marriage. I'm convinced of that but it took me a while to believe it.

HAIRY STORIES IN THE BIBLE

                                                        

HAIRY STORIES IN THE BIBLE

We don't ordinarily think of hair as a Bible subject. But I had one of those moments where things clicked in my head about hairy men in the Bible. And two hairy women. Their hair represented who they were. In Esau's story, his hair brought him a lot of grief, but not because he was ugly. The story of Jacob and Esau was wrapped in deceit. Absalom's story begins with a handsome, young man with unusually long, thick hair, but his hair led to his demise. Samson's strength was in his hair. He could whip a thousand men with a donkey's jawbone (Judges 15:15), but it was a woman named Delilah who cut the seven braids of his hair and his life was downhill from there. Elisha, the prophet, was bald. As he was walking, a group of boys from a nearby town started making fun of him yelling, "Get out of here, Baldy!" Forty-two boys died as a result. Nebudchanezzar thought he was king of the world until he proclaimed it loudly from a rooftop. He was transformed immediately into a grass-eating, crazy man with hair like eagle's feathers and claws. There's more to each story. Following are shortened versions.

Esau and his twin brother Jacob were born to Isaac and Rebekah. Esau was born hairy and stayed that way. To make a long story short, Esau was the oldest by a few minutes so he was promised the greater inheritance as was the custom in those days. Isaac loved Esau best because he was a hunter. Rebekah liked Jacob best because he was more of a home body. Esau went hunting to get some wild game. Jacob was close to home cooking a pot of beans. When Esau was finished, he was famished. He asked Jacob for some of the beans and Jacob told him he would trade him some for his birthright. Esau took him up on his offer, probably thinking it was a joke. If it was a joke, it still came true because when it came time for Isaac to declare the birthright to Esau, and because he was blind, he fell right into a deceitful plot. Rebekah told Jacob to get some sheepskins and put them on his arms and pretend to be Esau. Somewhat unwillingly, he did so and received the greater blessing. God meant for Jacob to have the greater blessing, but was very displeased that the time and method was stolen from Him. It's a long and tangled but interesting hairy story with twists and turns and payback deceit, Jacob's dream, his fight with the Lord, his name change and the subsequent 12 tribes of Israel.

The next story has a sad ending. Absalom was King David's son. He was a handsome prince with long, thick hair. It grew longer and thicker compared to other men's hair. But he had eyes on his father's throne. His dad began to weep when he learned of his son's plan. Both King David and King Wannabe Absalom gathered troops and both were ready to fight. David advised the troops to be gentle with Absalom, his son. Blood is thicker than water, after all. The battle ensued and was brutal. Twenty thousand men died in one day. Absalom happened onto some of David's men while riding a mule under a large oak tree. His hair was so long it got caught in a tree and he was left hanging in midair while his mule kept going. Joab, one of David's men, learned about Absalom's plight and took 3 javelins and plunged them into Absalom's heart, then ten armored men surrounded him and attacked him and he died. David was grief-stricken but was advised to show happiness that his people and family members were now safe or the people would turn against him.

Samson was raised under the Nazarite vow. He was consecrated to serve the Lord. He could not cut his hair, consume any grapes or grape products and could not touch a dead body. His story is a long one full of violence and bizarre behavior on the part of Samson. He had what we call today a superpower which was his great strength. He tore a young lion apart with his bare hands and killed a thousand Philistine soldiers with the jawbone of a donkey. The Philistines wanted to know where he got his strength so they threatened a beautiful young lady named Delilah to persuade him to tell her. He tricked her twice but the third time he gave up his divine secret. He wore seven braids because he had so much hair after not cutting it all his life and Delilah cut them off while he was sleeping. He was shackled, carried off as a prisoner and his eyes were gouged out. Eventually his hair grew back out and he regained some of his strength. A great crowd had met at the temple and they had Samson brought out to entertain them. He entertained them, alright. In fact, he brought down the house. He was chained to two columns of the temple and when he pulled on them with all his strength, the temple came down on top of the people. There's so many more shocking stories about the life of Samson that I had to leave out.

The story of Nebudchanezzer is a fascinating one. He was king of Babylon and during his reign he overtook Jerusalem. God allowed it because the people had turned away from Him. He later took Jerusalem and Judah into exile. Years later Nebudchanezzar had a troubling dream. He sought Daniel out to interpret it. In the dream was a mighty tree that was chopped down. The tree represented King Nebudchanezzar and his pride. Daniel described what would happen to him in the future. A year later the king was on his roof relishing in his power and greatness. He felt like king of the world. Then a voice from heaven reminded him he was not and from that point on he lost it all. He lived out in the field, ate grass, his hair became like eagle's feathers and his fingernails were like the claws of a bird. He lived in this mentally ill state for about seven years, then his mind cleared and he turned to God for help. God forgave him and gave him back what he had lost. God's forgiveness has no bounds when the person repents. Nebudchanezzar issued a decree over all his kingdoms that God rules.

Elisha was a prophet who followed Elijah, both before and after Elijah's death. He had no hair in his old age. He went up to Bethel and as he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. 25 And he went on his way to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

10 MINUS 9 UNGRATEFUL LEPERS

10 MINUS 9 UNGRATEFUL LEPERS

As Jesus was entering a village,

He met 10 lepers quite noxious

They stood at a distance and called out loudly,

“Jesus, Master, have pity on us!

Jesus felt deep compassion for them,

Go show yourselves to the priest, he said.

As they went, they were all ten cleansed,

Their disease could no longer spread.

The men were surely elated.

Tho' they should be filled with gratitude,

Only one remembered their healer,

Nine had an ungrateful attitude.

One man cleansed of his leprosy,

Returned with a heart full of praise.

He was a lowly but grateful Samaritan,

Who was thankful in many ways.

Jesus asked, “Weren’t ten men cleansed?

Where are the other nine, pray tell?

Was no one grateful but this foreigner?”

Jesus told him his faith made him well.

People back then and people now,

Forget people who helped them most.

They enjoy the good that was done for them,

But show the thanks of a bedpost.

Becky Wall

PROFOUND FORGIVENESS

PROFOUND FORGIVENESS

King Hezekiah was Manasseh’s father,

The son would wear his ring.

When Manasseh was only 12 years old,

He became Judah’s new king.

His father had been a good king,

So 15 years was added to his life.

But Manasseh went the way of Ahab,

Causing God much anger and strife.

He rebuilt the idols his father destroyed,

And altars to Baal were built.

He built a pole named after a goddess,

Toward the Lord he harbored no guilt.

He worshiped the starry hosts,

Along with his evil cohorts.

Defying the Lord, he built altars to the stars,

In the sacred temple’s two courts.

He sacrificed his own son in the fire,

Such evil one cannot comprehend,

He led Judah into sin like never before,

And filled Jerusalem with blood end to end.

Against Hebrew laws, he sought omens,

Consulted mediums and practiced divination.

He gathered advice from everyone but God,

He was a kingly abomination.

The Lord was profoundly angry at Manasseh,

So, he sent his way troubles and woes.

The King of Assyria took Manasseh prisoner,

Bound him up and put a hook in his nose,

He was taken prisoner to Babylon,

In his distress he sought favor from the Lord,

He humbled himself and prayed.

Guilt feelings from his mouth must have poured

The Lord was moved by his prayer,

And had Manasseh returned to Judah.

He then knew the God of his ancestors,

Was his one and only God too.

Manasseh rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem.

He even made it much higher.

He tried to make amends for his sins,

But his reputation remained in the mire.

His sins remained in Judah’s kings’ journals,

Recorded no matter how ruthless.

But the evil king’s sincere repentance,

Won him profound forgiveness.

We may think forgiveness is one thing,

But why give him clemency?

His evil cannot be undone,

But neither can God’s grace and mercy.

Becky Wall

 

 

JOHN THE BAPTIST

 

JOHN THE BAPTIST

John the Baptist preached in the Desert,

"Repent, for heaven is near."

He baptized the people who repented;

They came from all over to hear.

People sought out John from Judea,

From Jordan and Jerusalem.

There at the Jordan River,

Crowds repented and were baptized by him.

John was a cousin to Jesus.

God chose him to prepare the way,

For Jesus to enter His ministry;

John was bold in what he would say.

John's clothes were made of camel's hair;

He didn’t work a job to earn money.

A leather belt was around his waist.

And his food was locusts and honey.

The prophet Isaiah called John:

"The voice of one calling in the desert,”

John called men to repent, be baptized,

His ministry was intentionally overt.

John saw Pharisees and Sadducees coming,

Where people got their spiritual bath,

He yelled, "You brood of vipers!

Who warned you of the coming wrath?”

“Do not think you can say to yourselves,

'We have Abraham as our father.'

I tell you that out of these stones,

God can raise up children,” so don’t bother."

“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance,

For if a tree doesn’t bear good fruit,

It will be cut down and thrown in the fire;

The axe is already at the root.”

"I baptize with water for repentance.”

“But One whose power is much higher,

Whose sandals I am not fit to carry,

Will baptize with the Spirit and fire.”

“His winnowing fork is in His hand,

And He’ll clear His threshing floor.

He will gather His wheat into the barn,

And the chaff will burn evermore."

Becky Wall

THE EYES OF YOUR HEART

THE EYES OF YOUR HEART

(Ephesians 1:18, Psalm 139:12, Hebrews 11:1)

What do you see with the eyes of your heart?

Is your vision made strong by belief?

Do you see what cannot be seen?

Have your conscience and soul found relief?

Faith is assurance in what we hope for,

The evidence of things not seen.

The earth was created from nothing,

Christ coming even then was foreseen.

But some have a spirit of stupor,

With eyes that cannot see.

They have ears that cannot hear,

And still think of themselves as free.

The worldly sights which they enjoy,

Won't reveal the evil not seen.

Few know the danger 'til it's too late.

It festers much like gangrene.

But if they let a little Light shine,

And enlighten the eyes of their heart,

The darkness will be as light to them,

And they won’t want the Light to part.

The world was dark and evil.

When The Lord seemed to leave you behind.

You may have had eyesight back then.

But the eyes of your heart were blind.

The Pioneer and Perfecter of faith,

In the eyes of your heart will abide.

If you fix your eyes upon Jesus,

Then you will be cross-eyed.

Becky Wall

Ephesians 1:18

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people...

Psalm 139:12

... even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 

THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS

THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS

When Jesus comes with His angels,

And takes a seat on His glorious throne,

Where all nations are gathered around,

We certainly won’t be alone.

For we all face the final Judgment --

And we all hope to wear a white robe,

Garments that were made as white as snow.

For those selected from all over the globe.

Sheep on the right, goats on the left.

Each will get what they earned,

The sheep took good care of Jesus,

By the goats our Savior was spurned.

Are you on the left or the right?

Are you a sheep or a goat?

Will you one day wear a black cape,

Or a bright-white, bridal coat?

Becky Wall

Revelation 19:14: When Christ returns as King, His heavenly armies follow Him: "And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses."

Revelation 19:7–8: At the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the Bride is permitted to wear fine linen: "And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."

Revelation 7:9: "...a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands..."

Revelation 7:13–14: When asked who they are, an elder explains: "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

LEFT IN THE DARK

 

LEFT IN THE DARK

Acts 12

King Herod arrested some Christians,

That no longer worshiped as a Jew.

James, John’s brother, was killed with a sword,

Then Peter was arrested too.

It was during a Jewish festival,

The Festival of Unleavened Bread.

Tho’ The bread itself contained no yeast,

Vile yeast spread ‘til many were dead:

John the Baptist was beheaded,

And John’s brother with a sword.

Peter was scheduled next to be killed,

After Passover, set by the Lord.

The Passover protected God’s people,

With lamb’s blood on the doorframe.

When Jesus became that sacrificial Lamb,

They should all worship His name.

But Peter found himself in jail,

Four guards in four groups kept him there.

Two were chained on each side of him;

They guarded him sleeping bare.

It was Passover repetition --

No sandals and no cloak at his waist.

The same items that had long been required,

Were again to be grabbed in haste.

An angel with a mission and a message

Appeared to Peter that night.

The heavy chains fell from his wrists,

Before his miraculous flight.

He made it past all the guards,

Then a locked iron gate did appear.

The gate opened up on its own,

And freedom was finally near.

Peter thought he was living a vision.

The experience was so surreal.

It wasn’t until he passed through the gate,

That his mind began to heal.

Once they got past the iron gate,

And traveled about a block,

The angel left Peter’s side,

And reality brought a shock.

He went to the home of a woman named Mary,

The mother of a man named John Mark.

He banged on the door and also called out,

But was left alone in the dark.

When Rhoda, a servant girl, had heard him yell,

She ran to tell those who prayed,

In doing so, she left him outside in the dark.

While safe inside they stayed.

They had been in the house all day to pray,

And argued how this could be.

They knew that God answers prayers,

Yet didn't open the door to see.

Peter just kept on knocking,

And surely was looking around.

For he was an escaped prisoner,

Who a few minutes ago was bound.

When the door was finally opened,

And he rushed in the house, he was pale.

He motioned for them to be quiet,

While he told them what happened in jail.

The guards at the jail were questioned,

And further interrogated,

But since they had no answers,

To a sudden death they were fated.

— Becky Wall

JESUS TAKES A WALK ON THE WATER

                                       

             

JESUS TAKES A WALK ON THE WATER

Mark 6:45-52

Jesus had fed the thousands,

His miracles could not be denied,

He used just a few loaves and fish,

And the fish were not even fried.

His disciples were sent to Bethsaida,

And when the crowd had gone away,

Christ needed to talk to His Father alone,

So, He went to a mountainside to pray.

Later that night He noticed,

The disciples still rowing on the lake.

They were fighting the wind and the oars,

While thinking the trip was a mistake.

Christ waited ‘til just before dawn,

To walk the lake to the other side.

When He was about to pass them by,

The disciples were terrified.

They thought they were seeing a ghost,

In fear, they began to cry out.

Jesus said, “It is I, have courage.”

He wasn’t a ghost, no doubt.

They were shocked when He climbed in the boat,

And the wind and waves died down.

That proved He was truly the Son of God,

So they continued their trip to town.

They continued to struggle with parables,

And neither miracle could be seen as a trick.

They had witnessed so much already,

But their belief in the Son didn’t stick.

The disciples had so much to learn.

God’s presence they could not conceive.

The Holy Spirit was not present in them,

Their hearts were too hard to believe.

Becky Wall

 

FROM CRUMBS TO A SEAT AT THE TABLE

 

FROM CRUMBS TO A SEAT AT THE TABLE

Jesus is God but still human,

I’ll go to a quiet village, he thought.

He went to the Gentile city of Tyre,

Where He hoped He wouldn’t be sought.

His presence could not stay a secret;

A Greek woman fell at His feet.

Her little girl was demon possessed,

At Christ’s table the mom had no seat.

She had heard many truths about Jesus,

And believed every wonder she heard.

She knew He could heal her daughter;

Her faith was shown with each word.

Tho’ Jesus spoke in symbols;

She understood just what He said.

"Let my people eat all they want;

For, I AM their bread."

Christ continued, "It isn’t right,

To take God’s children’s bread,

And toss it to ones not family,"

Tho' a bounty for them lie ahead.

The mother said with certainty.

"Even the puppies under the table,

Can eat the children’s crumbs."

Tho' Gentiles at the time were unable.

Then Jesus turned and said to her,

You may go for such a reply.

The demon has left your daughter.

Such faith I cannot deny.

Jesus honored her when He said:

There’s no longer a demon to fear.

She found her daughter lying in bed;

And the acceptance of Gentiles was near.

They no longer had to live off the crumbs;

Christ had welcomed them into the fold.

They could now dine at the Hebrews’ table,

As prophecy long ago foretold.

Becky Wall