Why does God allow the hiccup?

Ezra starts magnificently. God is in the restoration business, and is able to do it through Cyrus - a foreign king. Even better that king acknowledges God for himself. Its a great moment.

The rebuilding work gets started, the people seek God by re-starting the sacrifices. There is a long way to go until the temple is rebuilt, but things are definitely looking up.

So why, in chapter 4, are things brought to a halt by opposition? Why can't God over-rule the subsequent kings and ensure things keep going (as indeed seems to happen eventually when king Darius comes to power)? Why does God allow the hiccup?

The text gives us no answers. Presumably God has His reasons.

Sometimes things seem to get stalled, or have spanners inserted in the works, for no obvious reason. Not much more can be said.

I desire mercy, not sacrifice

In the middle of Matthew's gospel a few things seem to get repeated. One of them is Jesus quoting Hosea 6:6 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice' - it crops up in both chapters 9 and 12.On both occasions Jesus is rebuking the Pharisees - they have not learnt, not understood. They have missed the point Big Time.

Sacrifices, by definition, should cost us. Yet it is possible to do sacrifices in a detached way. Somehow compartmentalised, off in a corner of our lives. Also they can become the focus, the main thing, some kind of 'conscience resolver' instead of paying attention to what God is really saying. Yes sacrifices might technically cost us, but in reality could be worthless.

Instead God desires from us mercy, just as He is merciful. Mercy is bigger than sacrifice because it cannot be detached - it has to get alongside and face the world as it really is. It will include sacrifice, but cannot be confined to the corner.

We can make rules, regulations, systems of thought that (theoretically) protect and keep us in the right - but that is not the way of God! No, God reaches out into the mess of the world for the possibility that some may be helped and saved. That is mercy, that is sacrifice on steroids. That is the way of Jesus, that is to be our way too.

So let us learn what it means ...

Pressing Into the Wind

Yesterday was windy. I mean really windy. Walking down by the river you had to physically struggle just to move forwards, because the wind against you was so strong.

When it comes to global poverty and injustice we are spiritually in a very similar scenario. The wind represents oppressive forces that make forward progress a definite struggle. Yet struggle we must - summoning our resources and concentrating them to ensure we can step the next foot in front of the other, combating the wind every step of the way.

Campaigns like Enough Food IF draw our attention and remind us of the global-political dimension. Yet of course each of us must contribute our own personal response, seeking to change the winds so that political will can get on board with what needs to be done.

It seems to me to be no accident that in Isaiah chapters 58 & 59, which talk of social justice issues so prominently, that the foundation verse of spiritual armour appears in 59:17 (cf the classic Ephesians 6 passage). For sure combating global poverty and injustice is a spiritual issue, which requires spiritual armour in order to be able to make a proper stand and push forward.

Look for God even in the insult!

It doesn't all go well for King David. His own son rebels against him, causing him to get out of town in a hurry. To add insult to injury, some nutter comes out to pelt David and his men with stones and curses (see 2 Samuel 16:5f).

Of course David has his bodyguard, who figure that a single blow with their sword will sort out this mouse-with-megaphone kind of opposition. Yet David will not let that happen. Curiously in v10 David figures that God might even be 'in' the cursing.

Now none of us like insults, and I'm sure it was most unpleasant for David. Yet we can learn from David's response: that somehow even in the insult, even in the unwarranted attack, God could possibly be at work.  Secondly David would rather quietly keep on his path and trust God for vindication (v12). David knows he cannot take anything for granted, but must rely on God at his every step.

So as leaders let us keep an ear open to what our opponents are saying. If we think we are on the right path, then let us humbly stick to it without feeling we must strike back, since if we are still in line with God's anointing we can trust that he will eventually vindicate our stance.

---

By not striking back David left the way open for Shimei to repent: see 19:18f. The onlookers can't cope, but David can offer grace. His stance has won through, he is vindicated, relationships are restored.

We Need Each Other

It doesn't take Saul long to get himself into trouble. 1 Samuel 13 sees his kingship curtailed, a far cry compared to the commissioning of chapter 10.

You might wonder what was such a big deal, especially with the understanding of 'priesthood of all believers' that we have today. Yet the 'all believers' concept does not equate to setting yourself up as a 'one man band', taking all authority and responsibility onto your own shoulders. Saul wanted to seek God - that's good. Yet that easily became perverted into thinking 'if I perform such n such a ritual, then surely will be well'. It wasn't - he put himself above the companion-discernment that Samuel would give, and asserted himself into a 'I can do it all' kind of position.

The plain fact is this: no matter how much responsibility we are given, how much we are lifted into an exalted leadership position, we still need the gifting, spirituality, and counsel of other people. This will keep us grounded, and help avoid our own self-exaltation beyond that which is appropriate.

We need each other.