READINGS FOR APRIL 30, 2024: GENESIS 20, 2 CORINTHIANS 2, PSALM 36:5-12
GENESIS 20 Some of us assume the worst of people we don’t know yet, so we make plans preparing for problems that never arise. Abraham was certain no one would do the right thing in the land of Gerar. He knew Sarah was an attractive older woman of about 90 (nothing surprising there). He mistakenly assumed he would be better off if he passed her off as his sister rather than his wife. After all, it was half true. It seems, though, that by doing this he almost guaranteed she would be taken from him to be a wife for someone else. Not smart.
The worst aspect of this was that this act was not in alignment with God’s covenant with him. How could Abraham and Sarah give birth to a chosen nation if Sarah was married to someone else? It also meant he was not trusting God but was leaning on his own understanding. There are certain instances when one might make a case for being deceitful for a higher good: 1) the Hebrew midwives with Moses and 2) Rahab protecting the spies. This case is certainly not one of them. Let’s not assume everyone is against God, against us, and won’t do the right thing. God can protect us if we are obedient to what He has revealed in His Word. He was more than gracious to all concerned in this case even though Abraham erred. God is committed to seeing His plans for His people fulfilled. Let’s serve at YMC according to His ways, not according to our “better ideas.”
2 CORINTHIANS 2 Paul still seems to be explaining why he had not come to see the church in Corinth recently. As he stated before, he believes their reflections upon his previous disciplinary communications needed more time for them to gain a positive perspective. He hopes that by now, they can understand his comments were made out of love. He in no way retracts them, though. Maybe those of us who have been parents can identify with Paul.
Paul goes on to talk about cases where the Corinthians had enforced church discipline. He advocated for this action in his previous letter: “I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or a greedy person, or an idolater, or is verbally abusive, or habitually drunk, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a person. For what business of mine is it to judge outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. remove the evil person from among yourselves” (1 Cor. 5:11-13).
Now Paul urges not to overdo the punishment. Once the point is made and the bad behavior is eliminated, the church must be proactive in loving this person back into the fold. In fact, Satan can take advantage of the situation if that person is shunned once the problem is corrected. Many teachers and coaches have an intuitive awareness about bringing someone fully back after administering punishment. The church needs to be both intuitive and intentional.
Verses 12-13 are interesting in what they infer about following God’s will. First Paul sensed an open door to share the Gospel in Troas. Then, when he was there, he felt no rest in his spirit due to the absence of Titus, so he left. Might these be indicators for us in discerning God’s direction for us? If the Lord opens a door for a certain ministry, perhaps we should walk through it. Yet, if in the midst of the ministry, we sense no rest in our spirit, perhaps it is a sign to discontinue and serve elsewhere.
Paul did not share the whole story in his letter to Corinth, but there was good reason for him to consider leaving Troas: “They went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them” (Acts 16:8-10). That’s quite a good reason for not having rest in his spirit about staying in Troas.
Paul, a Roman citizen, was apparently familiar with the Roman triumphs, the processions held in honor of a returning war hero. This spectacle was discussed back on March 24, 2024 in connection with Jesus’s triumphal entrance. Here we see God leading us in such a procession through what Christ has done for us. We can maintain a victorious attitude as we disperse knowledge of Him in every place, knowledge like the aroma of life. What a privilege to be part of this victory celebration. Sadly, for those who don’t know Jesus, this reality is the aroma of death.
PSALM 36:5-12 Verses 5-9 David spectacularly describes God’s attributes with soaring metaphors: God’s mercy extends to heavens; His faithfulness reaches the sky; His righteousness is a mountain; His judgments are deep oceans; His protection is covering wings; His delights are a river; and His life is a fountain. Do we have time to dwell on each attribute and its accompanying figure of speech? David was a shepherd, musician, song writer, warrior, and king. He was so busy that he likely made time to prioritize what was really important: contemplating God’s greatness. Maybe we will achieve more of eternal significance if we do the same.He concludes this Psalm first by praying God’s blessings on other believers, including us. Think of it. David is on our prayer team. Then he prays for humility for himself. We should likewise, but don’t be surprised when God answers this by giving us good reason to feel humble. Finally, David seeks God’s protection. We need this, “so that [we] will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).
