JIMERICKS - DISCIPLINE

Time with Jesus - 22 Nov 2013

Hi all,

To be against motherhood, or fatherhood for that matter, is the equivalent of resigning from humanity. Even members of the various gay and lesbian rights groups have no quibble with being mothers or fathers. They may not be quite certain of their own personal alignment, but they are sufficiently realistic to know, that a world without fathers or a world without mothers amounts to international suicide. Sure the ladies can cope a bit longer by resorting to AI methods. But even for them, the outlook is bleak.

In this regard, we notice that the ongoing Chinese one child per family policy has resulted in an entirely predictable situation. On TV recently we were told that their population split is 60% male and 40% female. That’s great if you happen to be female. But men, being what they are, are soon likely to be fighting over who has whom! It may seem like a win-win outcome, but that’s not the case. The losers will always be the ladies.

One of the more popular movies of 1954 was called, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”. It was an excellent movie based loosely on the story of the abduction of the Sabine Women in ±750BC. How the Sabine women enjoyed the experience is not stated. However, in the movie, the seven men and women were not entirely unhappy with the situation. The seven good looking young men and seven very attractive women (Hollywood - remember) ended up in the log cabin of their elder brother and His wife. The ladies had protested loudly and wildly. (Hollywood) Nevertheless they were quickly reconciled to the fact that they would have to remain where they were until the spring thaw; the snow melted and their respective family would “sort out” the seven brothers and, presumably, the eldest brother.

Hollywood never gives serious consideration to times and dates in romantic musical comedies. So when the eldest brother’s wife gives birth to a beautiful baby, the seven “brides” “coo and fawn” over the baby in typical Hollywood female fashion.

During the final third of the movie, the seven brides fall madly in love with their seven abductors. All of a sudden their longing for rescue evaporates and each in turn falls in love with their respective brother. The great concern of the 14 lovebirds is how to deal with the rampage of the families of the cheated “brides”. In the end, Hollywood came up with a brilliant solution. The families are confronted with the eldest brother and wife’s baby. “Whose baby is this?” the families ask. The seven brides all look at each other; smile and in unison say “Mine”! As a result, they all live happily ever after! Hollywood did a great “snow-job” on the situation. The music and dancing were excellent and I’d love to see it again. What few know is the episode has a counterpart in the Bible; in the last 3 Chapters of Judges.

To some extent the book of Judges is a misnomer. Certainly the first 16 chapters focus on the men and women like Gideon, Samson and Deborah, whom we know as the people whom God raised up after Joshua as judges. A number of them were local men, functioning in a definite part of Israel. From chapter 17 to 21 the picture changes somewhat and we start looking at some of the social conditions in Israel. Read them if you get the chance. If nothing else, it will reveal to you how desperately the nation needed a national Judge/Prophet such as Samuel. In that sense, Samuel is sometimes seen as the last judge of Israel before the Nation decided it wanted a king.

In a nutshell, the social conditions of that time were desperate. A central theme is, “In those days, Israel had no King, all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes”. The final three chapter focus around the tribe of Benjamin and what happened to them. I don’t want to spoil your reading of these three chapters. Here we find the tribe of Benjamin hated by all the other tribes. So much so, there is a war in which the Benjamites are almost annihilated. Almost the entire tribe gets slaughtered, men, women and children. The dislike by Israel for the Benjamites has an interesting development. The leaders of the other tribes vow they will never give their daughters to a Benjamite. Then, when there were few Benjamite fighting men; ¹ The Israelites had vowed at Mizpah, "We will never give our daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin." Judges 21:1 NLT

However, it was not that simple. The Israelites were convicted that the entire nation of Israel was about to cease to exist unless they could find wives for the remaining Benjamites. This then is what they did: ⁷ How can we find wives for the few who remain, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?" ⁸ So they asked, "Who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at Mizpah when we assembled in the presence of the LORD?" And they discovered that no one from Jabesh-gilead had attended the assembly. ⁹ For after they counted all the people, no one from Jabesh-gilead was present. ¹⁰ So the assembly sent 12,000 of their best warriors to Jabesh-gilead with orders to kill everyone there, including women and children. ¹¹ "This is what you are to do," they said. "Completely destroy all the males and every woman who is not a virgin." ¹² Among the residents of Jabesh-gilead they found 400 young virgins who had never slept with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. Judges 21:7-12 NLT

Sadly, this didn’t solve the problem (Not Hollywood) 400 of the men took these 400 women as wives. But there were still Benjamites who didn’t have a wife. This is what Isreal decided to do: ¹⁷ There must be heirs for the survivors so that an entire tribe of Israel is not wiped out. ¹⁸ But we cannot give them our own daughters in marriage because we have sworn with a solemn oath that anyone who does this will fall under God's curse." ¹⁹ Then they thought of the annual festival of the LORD held in Shiloh, south of Lebonah and north of Bethel, along the east side of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem. ²⁰ They told the men of Benjamin who still needed wives, "Go and hide in the vineyards. ²¹ When you see the young women of Shiloh come out for their dances, rush out from the vineyards, and each of you can take one of them home to the land of Benjamin to be your wife! 

²² And when their fathers and brothers come to us in protest, we will tell them, 'Please be sympathetic. Let them have your daughters, for we didn't find wives for all of them when we destroyed Jabesh-gilead. And you are not guilty of breaking the vow since you did not actually give your daughters to them in marriage.'" ²³ So the men of Benjamin did as they were told. Each man caught one of the women as she danced in the celebration and carried her off to be his wife. They returned to their own land, and they rebuilt their towns and lived in them. Judges 21:16-23 NLT

I’m not sure even Hollywood could depict this the way it is described in the Bible. Young maidens of South Africa, mind where you go dancing! You just might be abducted as someone’s wife! (Don’t all rush at once)

Shalom

Jim & Phyllida Strickland 

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 22 Nov 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes						©
INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	JIMERICKS - DISCIPLINE
All over the world, particularly the Western World, Satan is attacking the family. He hates any form of family life. It reminds him of the Unity within the Trinity. It’s a love relationship and all love is a contradiction of everything he represents. We know the Father loves The Son; The Son Loves the Spirit; The Spirit loves the Father. And so on it goes, in a never ending circle of infinitely perfect love and understanding from eternity to eternity. To you and me, it’s incomprehensible. But it’s probably the most beautiful thing eternity has known. Before his fall, Lucifer was considered to be the most beautiful “thing” in creation. After his fall he became Satan, the grand adversary of man; the devil or prince of darkness; the adversary; the enemy; the accuser. So great is his hatred for God and His children, it exceeds anything we could imagine. It would be “perfect” hatred apart from the fact that a created being cannot be perfect, not even in hatred! It doesn’t exist. His attack on the family focusses primarily on the male gender. Fatherhood and all fathers to him are anathema; he hates women, but not quite as much. He knows God appointed the man as the head of the family. So if he can destroy or weaken this Divine order, he will do so. We still see this in the 21st century. The one parent family has become common. As a general rule, children remain with their mother. So by attacking husbands, he achieves his purposes; families dissolve. I had a good father. By no means was he perfect. But he set a good example and I was always able to look up to him and respect him. I’d like to think that I am at least as good as he was. History will decide! As a general but not inflexible rule, fathers should take care of discipline within the family. I know this statement offends some ladies. All the same, it’s better for all concerned. My example of this comes from God’s Word. Jesus is seldom seen as a disciplinarian. He wasn’t soft on sin but there was a gentleness about the way He dealt with sinners that I would love to emulate. The story in John 8 of the woman taken in “the very act of adultery” illustrates this. According to the Law of Moses she should have been stoned to death. So should the man concerned, but he was somehow “missing”! It was a “perfect trap” for Him. Whichever side He took they would “have” Him. His answer could only have come from the heart of God. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." John 8:10-11 ESV Such wise gentle compassion! She had been caught. His Father’s law said “stone her”. That would be the correct discipline. Jesus had compassion. She had suffered enough! Jim & Phyllida  Strickland			7 "For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease. Job 14:7 ESV	If you chop a tree down, it may not be its end. It might revive, And hence survive. In fact, it just might mend.		It’s roots may still continue, unless you rip them out. How well they do, Depends on you. Do you want them to sprout?
			3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; Isaiah 42:3 TNIV	The Lord is very gentle. He does not want to harm. A reed that’s bruised, Cannot be used, To signal an alarm.		So He is very tender. A wick He won’t snuff out. Instead He blows, Until it glows, And fire comes about!
			3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Psalms 23:3 ESV	The Shepherd loves His people, And so He has a goal. To feed His flock, And always block, That which could harm their soul.		Upon the paths of righteousness, is how He always leads. His Name is True For me and you, In all His mighty deeds!
			10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV	Sorrow brings repentance when God is in control. But you can bet, Mankind’s regret, Can never make you whole.		But genuine contrition is needed to repent. He won’t condone An empty groan, Unless it’s truly meant.
			11 We don't enjoy being disciplined. It always seems to cause more pain than joy. But later on, those who learn from that discipline have peace that comes from doing what is right. Hebrews 12:11 GW	Discipline’s unpleasant. It always gives us pain. It stings a bit. But don’t “knock” it. Without it, there’s no gain!		But later, on reflection, we see what we have learned. We find His peace, Has been released, And for our good it’s turned.
			67 I used to wander off until You disciplined me; but now I closely follow Your word. Psalm 119:67 NLT	When we’re being wayward, we wander far away. Then we’re restored, By Christ the Lord, With Him we wish to stay.		And so He gives us something on which we can rely. We have His word. When seen and heard, We needn’t go awry.
			13 "Now we are being punished because of our wickedness and our great guilt. But we have actually been punished far less than we deserve, for You, our God, have allowed some of us to survive as a remnant. Ezra 9:13 NLT	Oh God we’ve sinned against you in many different ways. They’re piled up high, They reach the sky. We don’t deserve Your praise.		And now we’re being punished, But it is far less, Than what is right, Within Your sight. A remnant you will bless.
			8 Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. 9 I will be patient as the LORD punishes me, for I have sinned against Him. But after that, He will take up my case and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies. The LORD will bring me into the light, and I will see His righteousness. Micah 7:8-9 NLT	My enemies, stop gloating. I’ve fallen, but I’ll rise. It may be dark, But God’s the spark, That comes before my eyes.		And though I’m being punished, I will wait patiently I’ll be restored, By Christ my Lord. That’s when He’ll deal with thee!
				Jim Strickland – Written 22nd November 2012