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Cana of Galilee: Steps to Transformation

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Recently, my family and I made the seven-and-a-half hour trek to a town on Lake Michigan to attend the wedding of my husband’s niece. After almost two years of keeping it pretty local (#lockdown), this was our first big trip with our three children. We rented a van with built-in GPS, packed all of the road trip necessities–snacks, drinks, books, tablets, and coloring books–and hit the road. Leading up to the day of our departure, I had my misgivings. Could my kids handle it? Had they forgotten how to travel well and in such a way we would want to do it again any time soon?

I have to give them a lot of credit because they did a wonderful job! The 936-mile round trip went off without a hitch and gave me a lot of confidence in them for the next time we want to wander far from home.

 

Lumo Project. The water turned to wine. 2016. Wedding at Cana. https://freebibleimages.org/photos/wedding-cana/

Cheli informed us earlier that Jesus traveled over 3,000 miles during His three years of ministry and most of it on foot. The Bible tells us that very little of His time ministering was spent in His hometown of Nazareth.

“… A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household. And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:57-58)

Though Jesus did not do many mighty works in Nazareth, He did perform His first sign in the Book of John in nearby Cana.

 

Cana of Galilee

“On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.” (John 2:1‭-‬2)

Towns like Nazareth, Cana, and Capernaum were all in the province of Galilee and were separated from Judea (which housed the holy city of Jerusalem) by the non-Jewish territory of Samaria. Commentator R.T. France points out some notable differences between Galilee and Judea in the time of Jesus. Not only did they have a different racial and linguistic makeup (think Texan accent versus New England), but there were major political differences, as well.

“Galilee had been under separate administration from Judea during almost all its history since the tenth century B.C. (apart from a period of ‘reunification’ under the Maccabees), and in the time of Jesus it was under a (supposedly) native Herodian prince, while Judea and Samaria had since A.D. 6 been under the direct rule of a Roman prefect.”

While it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where the Cana of Jesus’ day would be today, many have settled on the modern day Arab village of Kafr Cana (also written as Kafar Kanna). Its close proximity to Nazareth make the invitations of both Jesus and His mother to the wedding festivities logical. After the wedding, Jesus “went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.” (v. 12) So, it does seem likely that Cana would be between Nazareth and Capernaum.

 

George Philip & Son, Cartographer, and London Geographical Institute. “Palestine in the time of Christ: illustrating the four Gospels.” [New York: C.S. Hammond & Co. Publishers / ?, 1916] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2016586539/>

 

Village Life

It’s easy for 21st-century readers to make assumptions about what life was like during Jesus’ day; however, the only way to truly understand the context of what we are reading is to get some background information. For instance, Israel was under Roman occupation, allowed to follow the laws of the Torah but not existing as the theocracy it once had. Eric M. Myers paints a clearer picture for us in his article, Villages of Galilee:

“The overwhelming character of village life in Galilee in Roman Palestine was Jewish; people mainly spoke Aramaic and Hebrew…. Distinguishing features of Jewish villages from the late Hellenistic period onward include ritual baths (miqva’ot), stone vessels that are impervious to impurity, discus lamps, often with Jewish symbols such as seven-branched candelabra (menorot) on them, Torah shrines, and, from the Middle Roman period onward, synagogues. …Recent research has concluded that there were only about 130–150 rabbis in the land of Israel during the Roman period and that their influence was confined mainly to the urban centers where their academies were based.”

We know that the Jews in Jerusalem looked down on Galileans because of their decidedly mixed heritages and how they had allowed Hellenistic (Greek) influence to creep in, just as most Jews looked down on Samaritans for their mixed race and worship practices. Even Jesus’ disciple, Nathanael, asked, “‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’” (John 1:46); yet, Nathanael himself is noted in John 21:2 as hailing from “Cana in Galilee.” Perhaps within Galilee itself villages and cities had stereotypes and presuppositions about the lives of the citizens of other towns within the province. Or maybe an unassuming man like Nathanael couldn’t believe that a prominent teacher could come from a village near his own little one.

Either way, God the Father, in His infinite wisdom chose Nazareth as the place where Jesus would spend His formative years. And Jesus, in partnership with the Father and the Holy Spirit, spent much of His ministry in the region of Galilee.

“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)

 

The Wedding at Cana

As mentioned before, it was in this little town in the less-than-glamorous province of Galilee that Jesus performed the first of the seven signs found in the Book of John.

“When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.’ So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:3‭-‬11)

Jesus, His family, and His disciples would have spent about an hour and a half walking the four miles from Nazareth to Cana, then, at a later time, another six hours to Capernaum. Unlike our recent wedding experience, which consisted of an evening rehearsal and dinner, followed by the wedding ceremony and reception the next day, weddings in the time of Jesus were week-long events. This was no quiet ceremony but a celebration involving friends, neighbors, and relatives both near and far. There would be music, dancing, feasting, and much wine would flow. It was a time set aside to celebrate not only the bride and the bridegroom but God’s goodness and provision.

Water Into Wine

 

Lumo Project. This was the first miracle performed in Galilee. 2016. Wedding at Cana. https://freebibleimages.org/photos/wedding-cana/

Oftentimes, I would read this passage in John and wonder, “What’s so special about turning water into wine when you compare it to Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead?” First of all, we catch a glimpse of what was important to Jesus, and, therefore, to the Father: marriage, family, and celebrating God’s plan for His people. Second, just as we see with Mary and Martha, Jesus does not negate the holy work of hospitality. Jesus’ mother was rightly concerned when the wedding hosts ran out of wine for the guests. She was probably widowed at this point, so she turned to her firstborn and the One she knew to be the Son of God. Jesus did not rebuke her for it, but spoke to her endearingly, just as He did at the cross when He asked John to care for her as he would his own mother.

Perhaps most significantly, we see that none of our troubles are insignificant to the Lord. Just as we have been taught that sin is sin–there are no “big sins” and “little sins”–miracles are miracles. Be it water turned into wine, a heart of stone turned to a heart of flesh, the resurrection of Lazarus, or the resurrection of our Savior Himself, Jesus is in the business of making all things new. His transformative power was made evident, not before governors and kings but before the humble, hard working people of a Galilean hamlet. And so, Jesus’ disciples begin to see that He is not just Jesus the Teacher. Here, they caught a glimpse of His glory, and, in that glimpse they believed.

Be it water turned into wine, a heart of stone turned to a heart of flesh, the resurrection of Lazarus, or the resurrection of our Savior Himself, Jesus is in the business of making all things new. #WhereJesusWalked

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Walking in His Footsteps

Sometimes we can find ourselves in the midst of the ordinary longing for something extraordinary. When we look to Jesus’ example, we see Him not escaping the everyday moments of life but entering into them, being present, and being at work. As we walk into the lives of the people God has put in our path, may we also be present, at work, and waiting for His miraculous, transformative power.

 

Jericho: Walking by Faith

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Being an avid fan of early American history, I can remember vividly how I felt when we moved to Lancaster County. Strolling the streets of downtown or driving around the rolling hills and farmlands, I was overwhelmed by a sense of connection to the people from the past who were once walking these same streets, seeing and falling in love with these same views. Though separated by hundreds of years and radically different cultures we are linked by this common place.

When Jesus walked through Israel with his disciples, they were walking over a land rich with the history of Yahweh showing up, over and over again for his people, calling them to righteousness and saving them by his grace. Can you imagine one of those disciples, growing up in Galilee, knowing the stories of Moses and Joshua by heart? Their world is already turned upside down as they travel with Jesus, but imagine them coming to the plains of Jericho, the place where their ancestors first took possession of the land promised to Abraham. I think I would be geeking out a little.

Jericho’s Walls

Jericho is frequently described as an oasis in the desert of the Jordan Valley. It is the lowest city in the world (800 feet below sea level) and one of the oldest continuous settlement from the earliest days of civilization.

The name, Jericho, is from the Canaanite word for “moon” (yareah) or the Hebrew word for “fragrant” (reah). It is thought to be the center of worship for the Canaanite deity of the moon (Yarikh) and also is known the world over for its sweet-smelling dates and balsam. It is often described as the “city of palms” because of its abundant palm trees but most modern readers remember it for the walls.

In Joshua 3-5 we read about the Israelites crossing over the Jordan River (on dry ground!), rededicating themselves to the covenant, and celebrating their first Passover as inhabitants. In chapter 6, they march around the massive walls of the most impressive city without saying a word for seven days. On the seventh day, they marched the approximate mile around seven times. Finally, they blew their shofars and shouted praises to the Lord. Their marching orders were beyond bizarre, but the Israelites responded in faith, and the walls of the fortified city crumbled in defeat.

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” (Heb 11:30)

Sitting in a deep valley between Jerusalem and the Jordan River (just across from where Jesus was baptized), Jericho serves as a gateway to the Promised Land, a place where faith is abundant, and promises are fulfilled.

The Jericho Jesus Knew

By New Testament times the city of Jericho had been rebuilt and resettled by the tribe of Benjamin, hosted a school of prophets, and served a place of rest for David’s men and Elisha. Inhabitants from Jericho were included in the exile and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Attracted to it beauty and strategic location, Herod the Great built his winter palace, making Jericho again an affluent oasis in the desert.

Stories in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke indicate that Jesus entered Jerusalem (for what we now call Holy Week) by way of Jericho.

Though there are only two brief encounters recorded at Jericho during Jesus’ ministry both stories reflect the faith in action first seen by the Israelites taking possession of Canaan.

Not Short on Faith

“He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” (Luke 19:1-8)

Zacchaeus was a prominent tax collector which likely means he was cheating his neighbors and getting rich off their suffering. We’re also told he was short and curious about Jesus, so he climbed a tree. It never occurred to him that he was the one Jesus was coming to see. But Jesus did see him and called him by name, inviting him to take part in the promise of his forefathers.

He responded in joy, faith, and repentance. “And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” (vv. 9-10)

 

Blind No More

“On his way out of town, a beggar by the name of Bartimaeus called out to him, persistently begging for mercy. And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 46-52)

Mark paints a picture of a desperate man, odds stacked against him. He acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah by calling out “Son of David.” Jesus, likewise, acknowledged his faith and told him to go on his way. Bartimeaus chose to follow Jesus from that day forward.

Interestingly, the name Bartimaeus is derived from a Hebrew word meaning “unclean” and is specifically used in reference to Gentiles. It’s a reminder of another Gentile from Jericho who was rewarded for faith in a god she could not see.

 

An Open Heart

Before crossing the Jordan River and taking Jericho by faith, Joshua sent spies to scope out the city. We read in Joshua 2 that they stayed at the home of Rahab the prostitute, who hid them from the king and told them,

“I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” (Joshua 2:9-11)

She is one of only five women named in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5), and remembered in the Hebrews “Hall of Faith”

“By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” Hebrews 11:31

Examples of faith in Jericho: Rahab hid the spies, Zacchaeus climbed a tree, and Bartimaeus cried out for mercy. Click To Tweet

A Heritage of Faith

Jesus walked a hard road while he was on earth. As he left the lush and fertile Jericho, he faced an uphill climb to Jerusalem where pain, humiliation, betrayal, and death awaited him. Yet he walked in faith, the security of knowing his Father would fulfill his promise to restore the world through his sacrifice.

“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:8-11

Bethlehem: The Entrance of the Savior

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In today’s blog post, we’ll take a look at the little town of Bethlehem in our series, Where Jesus Walked. 

Bethlehem, the Little Town

Around 2,000 years ago, a tiny, somewhat insignificant town welcomed the birth of the precious baby that would change the world forever. Jesus Christ was born in the quiet town of Bethlehem (which means “house of bread”). Bethlehem was (and is) located on the outskirts of Jerusalem in Judea.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. (Luke 2:4-6)

 

Prior to the birth of Christ, Bethlehem only had one real claim to fame. The New Testament passage above tells us that it was the “city of David.” If we trace the genealogy of the famous Old Testament King David, as Luke and Matthew do in the New Testament, we find that David was the great-grandson of the Moabitess, Ruth, and her second husband, Boaz.

Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem… Ruth 4:11

 

King David was living in Bethlehem when Samuel came to anoint the young shepherd boy to be the next king after Saul.

So, as tiny as it was, it became important since it was King David’s hometown. (We see the same thing happen today with small towns that yield celebrities who “put the town on the map.”)

Bethlehem became even more significant when Joseph and a (likely) very pregnant Mary traveled there to be listed on the Roman census report. Mary’s baby, Jesus, was born after their arrival and was was laid in the ever-famous manger because there was no room in the inn.

A Picture of Bethlehem

Bethlehem. Can you imagine the sights, sounds, and smells of the ancient little town? Dirt roads (and dirty feet), braying donkeys, bleating sheep, smelly animal odors, laughing, working families, and playing children. Real life.  

I think a little of the quiet country community where my parents live— a community with no real “town.” It boasts of a small general store (yes, those do still exist), a post office, a gas station on the highway, and a little restaurant. That’s about all.

The people in my parents’ town are hard-working land owners — some with cattle or sheep. And most must travel to the nearby larger towns or to the city for work and necessities. It’s the way of life.

I imagine Bethlehem was similar.

At the time when Jesus was born, it is estimated by some that the population was likely to be around 1,000 people or less, though the town may have had an influx of people at the time of the nativity, due to the census being taken. Today, there are about 28,000 residents in this town

Bethlehem is situated high in the Judean Hills, almost 100 feet above Jerusalem, the town now would experienced hot summers and cool winter just as it did in Jesus’ day. It lies about 6 miles south of Jerusalem. Six miles isn’t far in a car but on foot at an average pace it can take about 2 hours to walk 6 miles.

This distance and separation is likely one that Jesus’ family felt as they passed Jerusalem to reach Bethlehem before He was born. (Jesus Himself likely felt the separation during the times He spent in Jerusalem. I wonder if He had family in the little village that He visited or often thought of. But I’m getting ahead of myself…)

How Long Was Jesus in Bethlehem?

Our series is titled Where Jesus Walked. The focus is the locations where Jesus made an impact on the world through His physical presence and ministry. But there’s a hint of irony here; we don’t know how much “walking” Jesus actually did in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem may very well be the first place Jesus ever set His feet to the ground, learning to toddle and walk. But because of its importance in Jesus’ birth (and therefore life and ministry), we’d be wrong to exclude it from our series.

By using the Massacre of the Innocents (see Matthew 2:16-18) as a way to gauge the passing of time, we can safely assume that Jesus must have been younger than about two years old when Joseph was warned in a dream to escape to Egypt. Jesus’ little family then fled to save our Savior’s life. (Matthew 2:13-15)

The Bible gives no indication that Jesus ever returned to Bethlehem after His birth. He may have, but if He did it is not recorded. We have no stories of famous sermons given in Bethlehem nor words recorded from encounters with the people who lived there.

Nothing.

Yet, this “house of bread” was the location God chose to send us the very Bread of Life.

Bethlehem: An expression of Christ’s Love

In two main ways, I think of Bethlehem as an expression of Christ’s love. First, it’s important for us to recognize that though He could have chosen a bustling city or the wealthiest trading town, He chose a poor, quiet village where shepherds watched flocks and grain was harvested.

This serves as a reminder that God sees and cares about what the world might deem insignificant or unimportant. No place nor person escapes His notice and love!

But not only does Bethlehem remind us that God loves even the insignificant or unimportant, we see that God loves the entire world. God Himself, in the second person of the Trinity (Jesus Christ), entered the world with the purpose of taking mankind’s sin upon Himself– to be the ultimate sacrifice! God welcomes into His family (and promises heaven to) any who believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

How is Bethlehem an expression of Christ’s love? How does it demonstrate the fact that God provides? Come check it out on DoNotDepart.com #WhereJesusWalked

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Providing Bread for the Whole World

Patti wrote about Bethlehem and said, “The Hebrew for Bethlehem is two words – beth (house of) and lehem (bread.) Thus Bethlehem literally means ‘House of Bread.’ Jesus was born in the ‘house of bread’ – how fitting that He called Himself the bread of life!”

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

 

God Provides. Just as God provided manna for the Israelites who wandered in the desert for 40 years, He provides spiritual sustenance for Believers today. Jesus Christ is the true, everlasting Manna from Heaven. He is the eternal provision for our souls… of whom if we “eat” we will never hunger again.

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.” (John 6:32)

As I wrote here about the manna and quail and how God Provides, “Ultimately, God provides Himself. And that, my friend, is our greatest need!”

Historicity

Cheli told us in the intro to this series, “The Gospel accounts are rooted in reality— real places, real people, and real time. The New Testament chronicles His [Jesus’] movement and provides details reinforced by archaeology. Ours is not a flimsy faith based on half-truths and fables; Christian faith is bolstered by its historicity.”

Parts of the earth itself cradled the (physical) feet of our Savior. What love! Jesus left His home in heaven to come into this world to die for us. His grace and mercy are unfathomable. Aren’t you thankful?!

What stands out to you most about Bethlehem as the entrance point of the Savior? Share your thoughts here in the comments or in our Facebook community.

Blessings!
Ali

New Series: Where Jesus Walked

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It’s June, and a new month means a new series at DoNotDepart.com. Also new this month, we are glad to announce the addition of new contributors: Sabrina Gogerty and Kristee Ravan. A guest contributor, Alison Porter, will join us also. Be sure to welcome these ladies to the blog when you see their posts later this month.

For many, summer is a great time for a road trip, so why not take a virtual tour of the Holy Land together? Throughout June we will delve into the culture, geography, and history of places in Palestine where Jesus walked, talked, and loved.

Jesus Walked

If Jesus had a step counter, he would have earned the “globetrotter award.” According to estimates, Jesus traveled over 21,000 miles while on earth—enough to circumnavigate the globe. The Gospel accounts are rooted in reality— real places, real people, and real time. The New Testament chronicles His movement and provides details reinforced by archaeology. Ours is not a flimsy faith based on half-truths and fables; Christian faith is bolstered by its historicity.

Kent, Charles Foster. Palestine in the time of Jesus, 4 B.C. – 30 A.D.: including the period of Herod, 40 – 4 B.C. [S.l.: s.n, 1912] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2009579463/>.

Jesus Talked

Everywhere He went the Gospels record Jesus’ words. For students of God’s Word, it is important to look at these words in context. Not just studying the rhetorical context, but the cultural context as well. Whether talking to Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman at the well, or Zacchaeus, it is important to study not only Jesus’ words, but the place where He was speaking. Throughout this series, if there is a significant connection between the geographical setting and Jesus’s words, we will highlight it.

…but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.  John 20:31.

Jesus Loved

Furthermore, as Jesus traveled some 3,000+ miles during His ministry, He demonstrated His love for people. Confronting sin, healing the sick, standing up for the downtrodden, Jesus modeled love in action. Understanding the setting is a key to understanding the Kingdom purpose of Jesus’ miracles and personal encounters. We hope to illumine the richness of the scripture as we delve into the importance of place in the life and ministry of Jesus.

And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen. John 21:25

The Gospel accounts are rooted in reality— real places, real people, and real time….Christian faith is bolstered by its historicity. #WhereJesusWalked

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We look forward to “traveling” the Holy Land with you throughout the month of June as we explore Where Jesus Walked.

Psalm 27: Your face, Lord, I will seek

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Psalm 27
During a recent season of anxiety and uncertainty, my family began reading a Psalm aloud together each evening. For about six weeks, we read Psalm 27 together every day.

Psalm 27:1-3

I found in Psalm 27 a guide of words that acknowledge the presence of a threat but also declare truth and assert faith and hope. Verses 1-3 give us this truth: Any powers coming against the Lord’s children are ultimately powerless. We are safe, in the deepest sense of the word.

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
    to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
    it is they who stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    Yet I will be confident. (Psalm 27:1-3)

The Psalmist David knew this truth not simply by conviction, but also by repeated physical experience experience as far back as his youth. Goliath had threatened his flesh. “ The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field” (1 Samuel 17:44). But David fought Goliath in the name of the Lord — and prevailed. (1 Samuel 17). Romans 8:28 and Genesis 50:20 tell us that God’s sovereignty prevails regardless of the threats against us.

Psalm 27:4-6

From warfare, the Psalm moves on to devotion. Personally, these words were an important transition, moving my focus away from my fears to re-focus my heart on my Lord.

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:4) 

And in this place of devotion and intimacy, there is both safety and glory:

For he will hide me in his shelter
   in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will lift me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be lifted up
    above my enemies all around me, (Psalm 27:5-6a)

From safe shelter, our hearts respond in worship:

and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord. (Psalm 27:6b)

Psalm 27:7-12

As I read through this Psalm, I notice the back-and-forth between the Lord’s actions and the Psalmist’s responses. (As someone who loves language, I like to go through the Psalm and circle the subject of each phrase and underline the verbs. Try it!).

Throughout this Psalm we have descriptions of God’s identity and His actions. He is light, salvation, a stronghold, and beautiful. He hides, conceals, and lifts up the Psalmist. Then, there are David’s responses: He does not fear; he will be confident. He asks and seeks, gazes and inquires, shouts and sings. The exchange comes to a pinnacle in this next section:

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
   be gracious to me and answer me!

You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

    Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    O God of my salvation!
For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will take me in.

Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path
    because of my enemies.
Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
    for false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they breathe out violence. (Psalm 27:7-12)

Psalm 27:13-14

And in conclusion, David focuses his heart on hope, with confident expectation of God’s goodness. In light of God’s power, sovereignty, and protection, courage is well founded.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:13-14)

And there, at “Wait for the Lord,” is where I would rest each night after our evening reading. With those words, I left the day behind and stepped with a little more courage towards the next, in the assurance that the Lord remains my light and salvation.

Dear friends, as we move into whatever is ahead of us, be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord, our light and salvation.

Psalm 51: Confession, Repentance, and Restoration

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No matter how safely I drive my car, when I see a law enforcement vehicle, I panic. The fear of breaking the law scares me. This automatic reaction prompts me to consider how I think of God and His response to my sin. Do I see God as a traffic cop or as gracious and merciful Father (Exodus 34:6)?

King David, “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), confronted with his grievous sin, turned toward God instead of hiding from Him. I learn from David that the best place for me when I sin is in God’s presence. A child of God, His gracious and merciful heart welcomes my confession of sin and repentance.

Confession

As I mature in faith, I recognize more and more my need for daily confession.

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.  Psalm 51: 1-6

Repentance

Once offered, confession leads to repentance, a turning away from sin and towards God.

7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right[b] spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.  Psalm 51:7-12

Restoration

Having confessed and repented of my sin, God faithfully forgives and cleanses me from unrighteousness. He readies me again to do His will.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.  Psalm 51:13-19

Blessed are the Forgiven

Until Jesus returns, I will practice running to God with my sin. He is ready and waiting to forgive and restore me.

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”  Romans 4:7-8

God is a gracious and merciful Father who is ready to forgive and restore me. #Psalm51 #BeautifulPsalms

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Beautiful Psalms – Psalm 121

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For the remainder of this month, we will be doing a short series on Beautiful Psalms. We’ll share some of our favorites with you and how God has used them to teach or encourage us over the years. In today’s post, we remember that Psalm 121 reminds us of God’s love and watchful care. We pray you’ll be blessed by this series.

Growing up, one of my favorite movies was The Sound of Music. From the time I was a very little girl, I was intrigued by the storyline and loved the fun, lively songs. While the reason for Maria’s dilemma about whether to stay with the Von Trapp family or head back to the abbey where she’d been raised was over my head, I found myself drawn in when she (in desperation) discussed her worries with the calm and wise Mother Abbess.

There was something about the abbess’s quiet and firm personal faith that gave me hope for Maria and hope for a good resolution to the story. I didn’t realize until my early teen years that Mother Abbess was alluding to Psalm 121 when she reminded Maria to lift up her eyes to the hills… to where her help comes from. (And of course, a fitting song followed!)

Something about those words gave me great hope and, as years passed, I grew to love them even more. They give so much encouragement! The word of the Lord is powerful, even when quoted indirectly as a line in a movie.

About 15 years ago, my daughters and I set out to memorize all of Psalm 121. Planting the words firmly in my heart and mind have served me well. When I’ve struggled physically, emotionally, or spiritually, they have soothed me and reminded me that God is my protector and strength.

(A few years ago, right here on DoNotDepart, we had a memory challenge based on this Psalm. Did you memorize Psalm 121 with us?)

Beautiful Psalms - Psalm 121 at DoNotDepart.com

Overview of Psalm 121

Psalm 121 is a “Song of Ascents.” Worshipers coming to the Temple would sing this psalm together as they climbed the hills to reach Jerusalem. This psalm’s origination is interesting because, like Lisa stated here, “We don’t know who wrote this Psalm, when, or on what occasion. But we can understand why: To build confidence in the Lord’s care.”

 

Psalm 121:1-2

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

2 My help comes from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2)

In these first two verses, the psalmist encourages others to remember that help comes from the Lord. The original reciters of this psalm looked up on their journey, toward the hills of Jerusalem, and remembered God’s presence in the Temple. Similarly, we can look to God’s beautiful creation and remember our Helper is a powerful Creator! Since He created heaven and earth, He can easily take care of me.

 

Psalm 121:3-4

3 He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:3-4)

Not only does God take care of us, but He is always on duty. I love the reminder that He never “slumbers nor sleeps.” Though I don’t always see Him working, and perhaps I don’t always feel His presence, He is protecting me. (Yes, I have been through both of those situations.) These two verses have given me great comfort in times of grief, worry, and fear.

Instead of relying on feelings or even by my interpretation of my experiences, I can trust in this truth: God will not let me be moved. He keeps me from “slipping and falling” spiritually. (Of course, this doesn’t rule out my need to be obedient. It means that He is ever faithful to watch over me!)

 

Psalm 121:5-6

5The LORD is your keeper;

the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

6The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night. (Psalm 121:5-6)

The original pilgrims heading toward Jerusalem would have encountered the heat and sun of the Middle East, yet God Himself is their shade. As a Central Texas girl, the analogy of dangerous heat and sun is something I can understand. A hot, sunny day can go from beautiful to dangerous in a matter of minutes, in certain situations.

What a beautiful reminder that when our Christian walk gets tough (as inevitably happens) God provides us with rest in His shade. That promise in verse 5 reminds me of the safe, green pastures of Psalm 23:2 and the shadow of the Almighty in Psalm 91:1. God gives us rest and keeps us safe from hurt. Instead of being struck down by the heat of the sun’s powerful rays, we are promised a reprieve. And no matter how scary the night may seem (literally or metaphorically), God will protect us then, too!

 

Psalm 121:7-8

7The LORD will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

8The LORD will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore. (Psalm 121:7-8)

These verses give so much hope! Not only does the Lord watch and protect us now as we travel our pilgrim roads (life), He will keep us safe in the future– for our entire lives.

“When we go out in youth to begin life, and come in at the end to die, we shall experience the same keeping. Our exits and our entrances are under one protection.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)

The original audience likely would have understood the “going out” and “coming in” to refer to their entrance into and exit out of Jerusalem, but they are also symbolic of all the goings on in a person’s whole life, and even of life itself.

Yes, every time we come and go (in other words, every time we do anything) we can be confident that God is with us. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a Believer’s seal, reminding us of this truth. Like little children learn in Sunday School, we can know God is always with us because Jesus lives in our hearts! 

Look to the Hills, or to the…

Many of us will likely never go to Jerusalem. But we don’t have to be on a pilgrimage, looking to those hilltops in order to praise along with the psalmist.

No, we can praise God as we lift up our eyes to other hills or to the brilliant stars, mackerel clouds, budding flowers, trilling songbirds, and… you get the picture! His creation reminds us that He is powerful. He will take care of us, protect us, and always be with us!

Has this Psalm ever encouraged you? Or has looking toward God’s creation reminded you about His faithful protection? Please share with us in the comments or in our Facebook community.

Be blessed in all your goings out and your comings in!

We can look to God’s beautiful creation and remember our Helper is a powerful! He is an ever-faithful protector. #BeautifulPsalms #Psalm121

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In Him,

Ali 

Metaphorically Speaking: Series Wrap-Up

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The other day I was talking books with a friend when he mentioned one that I had read but hadn’t been particularly moved by.

“It’s given me the language I need to understand and face the things I’m struggling with,” he said.

That is the power of metaphor. What speaks to you will be a little different than what speaks to me because our experiences, the things we know, are different. Metaphor is a literary device that uses something known to illustrate or explain something that is unknown. It is used throughout Scripture to describe the indescribable, measure the immeasurable, and give shape to the infinite.

Over the last month, we’ve explored some of our favorite metaphors from the Bible.

Eat This Book – Scripture is Food (Deuteronomy 8:3)

“Food, like faith, connects us to our sense of self and cultural identity. The smells, tastes, and feelings associated with certain dishes enrich our memories and take us back to the traditions they represent. We are rooted in how we are raised and free to grow in our understanding and experience as we mature.”

Jesus is the Door – John 10:7

“After all the sheep were in, the shepherd would lie across the opening, using his own body as the “door of the sheep.” This prevented predators from getting in and sheep from getting out. The sheep were completely in the shepherd’s care, trusting him for their protection and security.”

It’s Good to Be a Roadie – Jesus is the Way (John 14:6)

“Jesus always gives us the very next step we need, just when we need it. He even corrects our missteps and wrong turns and fender benders to create beautiful new paths for each of us, individually and collectively.”

Connected to the Vine – John 15

“Like the vine delivers sap, the vital nutrients, to the rest of the plant giving it vitality and vigor, Jesus delivers everything we need for spiritual growth and maturity.”

Living Water – a metaphor for God’s Spirit, John 7:37-39

“Oh, what a gift. The life-sustaining, thirst-quenching, ever-cleansing, fully-healing, Holy Spirit dwells and bubbles up within us and flows out from us. THIS is the living water He offers.”

A Dwelling Place (Psalm 90:1)

“Dwell in Him. Make Him your peace and security. Fulfill your role in being another generation that dwelled in Him.”

 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and each picture in the Bible connects us to the Word who was God and was with God, who is the image of the invisible God, and through whom all life is created and sustained.

A Dwelling Place

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This is a post by guest contributor, Kristee Ravan. Kristee lives in Oklahoma with her husband, three kids, and cat.  She keeps busy with homeschooling, twin-wrangling, and supporting her husband’s ministry as a pastor. She has been writing and publishing devotions for several years and has also published two tween novels. Her books, The Cinderella Theorem and Calculating Christmas are available on Amazon.com. Kristee felt a call to be a missionary in childhood which led her to the jungles of Bolivia for two years after college. She was surprised when God called her back to the United States, but has been delighted with the ministry opportunities He planned for her, including supporting foster and adoptive families (and being an adoptive family!), educating others about how trauma affects children, and writing. You can connect with her on her Facebook author page, Kristee Ravan.

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.” (Psalm 90:1, ESV)

 

The introduction to Psalm 90 records that this is “Of Moses the Man of God.” My daughter and I have used a scripture memory song for this Psalm in our homeschool for years, yet I have never stopped to think about the metaphor right there in the first verse.  

 

The Lord is our dwelling place. What does that mean? He’s the house (or tent in Moses’s case)? Or He’s our safe place?

 

A quick Google search revealed that a “dwelling place” is the place where someone lives. We can’t know exactly when in his life Moses wrote this Psalm, but in my opinion, it makes sense for it to be written during those forty wandering years in the wilderness. The poignant cry that the Lord is our dwelling place seems to come from people who have no literal, permanent home.

A Look Back

What might those desert-trotting Israelites have felt when they sang Moses’s new Psalm? As we probably learned in Sunday School, they had no home. They were wanderers, nomads, transient refugees. Having the Lord as their dwelling place gave them an identity.

 

In an everyday sense, a dwelling place for them would have been the literal tents they were dwelling in. How is the Lord like a tent? He offered them safety, peace, and rest.  Having the Lord as their dwelling gave them security. 

 

But a tent was only safety and security so long as they chose to go into it. They were welcome to sleep outside that protection if they liked. They had to be the ones to make the choice to go into the tent–the Lord as their dwelling place–and participate in the things that came with that relationship with Him. Having the Lord as their dwelling gave them responsibility.

A Look at Us

Actually, the same points apply to us.  When we choose to make the Lord our dwelling place, He becomes those things for us as well. And honestly, I wept when I found this verse as I looked for a metaphor to write about.  I needed it. I was cramming a writing session in between hard, hard things in our family.

 

I need Him to be my identity, my permanency–not being a wife, a mother, a homeschooler. Those things shouldn’t be the biggest part of who I am. He should. 

 

I need Him to be my security. My trust, my faith, my hope should all stem from the rock-solid dwelling place that is the Lord. When I re-enter that metaphorical tent, I should come out trusting only Him for finances, children’s futures, medical issues. 

 

In Matthew 7, Jesus compares people who don’t fully trust His words with a foolish man who built his house on sand. (Although, technically, that’s a simile. Jesus used the word “like.” “And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man…” Matthew 7:26, ESV) Why wouldn’t I trust Him and build on the rock?

 

But having Him as your dwelling place does require responsibility. We have to choose to go to Him with our troubles. We have to actively talk to Him about our day in order for Him to become our identity and security. For me, this means setting alarms to remember to pray throughout the day and carving out time in my morning and evening routines to dwell with Him.

A Word about the Generations

The second part of the verse says the Lord had been their dwelling place “in all generations.” What were the Isrealites reflecting on in that part of the song? 

 

Abraham, who left his literal dwelling place in Ur to follow where God would tell him to go. He was led to a new dwelling place with God.

Jacob, who fled his literal dwelling place to live for years in another land. He discovered a new dwelling place with God.

Joseph, sold away from his literal dwelling place into slavery in Egypt. He found a new dwelling place with God.

 

And the same is true for us. I can see in my own family how our different generations have made Him their dwellings: when my great-grandparents trusted him during the Great Depression when my grandmother sought peace and strength from Him after her husband left her, and when my parents made Him their dwelling in seeking hope through daily prayer and Bible study. 

 

I pray my children will look back on what has been a hard season for our family and realize I made God my dwelling place through trusting Him in the storms of life.

 

Dwell in Him. Make Him your peace and security. Fulfill your role in being another generation that dwelled in Him.

 

Living Water: A Metaphor for God’s Spirit

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Living Water

Thirst. 

It’s funny how I don’t even realize I’m thirsty until I stop for a moment. I try to drink water throughout the day. But somehow, by the time dinner is ready, the table is set, and the last child has been seated, I sink into my chair exhausted and suddenly realize I’m parched. The moment we say “Amen,” I drain my glass of ice water and let out a sigh.

Few sensations are more universally familiar than thirst. When God colored Scripture with metaphor, he brought the spiritual into focus, showing us how spiritual things are like the most familiar things of our physical world. What could be more familiar than water?

Water is literally life-sustaining. Without a consistent supply of water, our bodies fail to function well. We are only about 3 days from death if we are cut off from water. We simply cannot live without it.

Do you remember the Samaritan woman at the well? 

“A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” ….Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:7-10, 13-14)

Jesus was offering more than just abundant water. He offered living water.  Living water, mayim chaim (MY-eem KHY-eem) in Hebrew, is water from a natural and moving or flowing source. It is not stagnant, not carried by man, not held in cisterns or a pond.

Mayim chaim is water bubbling from a spring, flowing in a river, and falling rain. It is life-giving, clean water. It is water that washes.

In Jesus’s day, the water in the mikvah baths used for ritual cleansing before entering the temple was living water. In fact, mikvah’s used for ritual cleansing by Orthodox Jews today are still required to be sourced in part by living water. Living water is the flowing natural-sourced water that cleanses, and in the Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament, living water depicts the presence of God.

God’s Life-Giving Presence

Living water flowed from Eden, where the presence of God dwelt with man. “A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers.” (Genesis 2:10).

The prophet Jeremiah describes the presence of God as living water,

“O Lord, the hope of Israel,
all who forsake you shall be put to shame;
those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth,
for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.” (Jeremiah 17:13)

The prophets Ezekiel and Zechariah also describe the flowing waters of the presence of God. flowing from the Temple and Jerusalem, respectively. In the 47th chapter, Ezekiel describes a vision in which water flows out of the temple, growing deeper and deeper as it reaches farther out, forming a flowing river. On the banks of the river grow trees for food and leaves for healing. Zechariah equates the waters flowing from Jerusalem out to the seas with the rule of the Lord over all the earth:

“On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea.[e] It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one. (Zechariah 14:8-9)

And so it was specifically living water, indicative of the presence of God, used by the Jews for ritual cleaning. On the last day of the feast in John 7, the crowds would have been immersing themselves in living water in preparation to enter the temple.

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39).

Living water is the Spirit of God! 

The living water is the Spirit of God, and, as Jesus described both to the Samaritan woman and in his declaration at the feast, the living water He gives flows from within the heart of a Believer. In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God came and went, rested upon some, but was also withdrawn (King Saul’s life is a clear depiction of this). But now, with Christ’s glorification, Jesus Christ has given the Holy Spirit to dwell within Believers.

Oh, what a gift. The life-sustaining, thirst-quenching, ever-cleansing, fully-healing, Holy Spirit dwells and bubbles up within us and flows out from us. THIS is the living water He offers.

I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me,
Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see
Opens prisons doors, sets the captives free
I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me.

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