The simple substance of prayer

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the task of prayer. Are our words sufficient? Are we touching upon the proper subjects?

As Paul emphasizes, the exacts words or topics of our prayers aren't critical (Romans 8:26, CSB),

We do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.

With that it mind, it's useful to turn to David's directions to the Levites. In 1 Chronicles 23:30 (CSB), the directions are,

... to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the Lord, and likewise in the evening.

Similarly for us, our prayers every morning and evening (and throughout the day) should, first and foremost, give thanks and praise. Other topics are fine, too. But let us emphasize thanks and praise! 

Where to put our trust

The bible makes clear not to trust in earthly possessions for security. For example, Proverbs 18:11 (KJV) reads,

The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.

It's easy to convince ourselves that we are following this advice. But does any of us really maintain a healthy attitude toward earthly possession? I would argue that this seemingly simple and obvious message is one that we disregard the most!

After all, don't our moods improve when our bank accounts look more plush? And don't we become anxious when they don't? I suppose that's a natural part of trying to survive, but what if those moods also correlate with our spiritual mindset? Do our prayers become frequent and joyful when we're financial secure, only to then become infrequent and difficult when we're distracted by financial troubles?

When confronted by a follower convinced of his own righteousness, Jesus responds (Matthew 19:21, KJV),

If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Of course, the person sulks off, realizing that he's not willing to make that sacrifice.

The larger point is that, simple as it sounds, our main, and very difficult, task is to place our trust in God, and God alone. As David expresses in Psalm 9:10 (KJV),

They that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

Making the right choice

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah confronts Ahab and the pagan prophets of Israel. In verse 21 (KJV), he issues a famous line,

How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.

The prophets of Baal were present, but as verse 19 makes clear, so were the prophets of Asherah (called the "grove" in the KJV). As outlined in a previous post, Baal and Asherah were the gods of prosperity and fertility (lust).

So Elijah's message to the people -- and also to us! -- is that we must choose between God or the earthly pleasures and treasures of sin. We can't pursue both.

As if to emphasize the folly of the incorrect path, the prophets of Baal then engage in an elaborate, and embarrassing, ritual aimed at getting a divine demonstration of power from Baal. The predictable outcome (verse 29, KJV),

And it came to pass ... that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

The story then proceeds to a legitimate show of power from God.

So the lesson is clear. We have a choice. One path, despite its shiny appearance, is empty. The other is the path of life.

The temple and forgiveness

Solomon's dedication of the Temple (1 Kings 8:22-53) is a crucial moment in the Old Testament, but it takes on even greater importance in light of events in the New Testament.

First, we must recognize that the Temple, as well as its builder Solomon, both portend the coming of Jesus. Solomon, the literal son of David, builds the earthly house of God. But then Jesus, sometimes called the "son of David" by virtue of being David's direct descendant, would establish a "temple" of far greater importance -- his own body.

For this reason, Christians don't pray at or toward a physical structure, as is common in other religions. In fact, despite the presence of physical churches, those buildings function primarily as gathering places, not holy shrines. Jesus emphasizes this point when, in chapter 4 of John, a woman presses him on whether worship should occur on a mountain in Samaria or in the Temple is Jerusalem, which evidently was a point of dispute in ancient Palestine. Jesus responds (John 4:21,23, KJV),

The hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father ... true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

Which brings us back to Solomon's dedication of the Temple. While reading that passage, translate any mention of the Temple into "Jesus" to gain a sense of the full sweep of what the Temple portends. For example, in 1 Kings 8:30 (KJV) Solomon prays to God,

When they shall pray toward this place ... and when thou hearest, forgive.

The point is, when we pray to the "Temple," by which we mean "Jesus," then God is faithful to forgive of sins.

Christian Standard Bible (CSB) review

I occasionally post about Bible translations. In this post, I'll say a bit about a new translation, the Christian Standard Bible, published in March, 2017.

The CSB is a major revision of the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), a relatively popular translation that I, admittedly, don't know much about. Not knowing what to expect, I picked up an inexpensive promotional copy of the CSB when it was first released a few months ago. After a few months of browsing through it, I really REALLY like the CSB!

First, the CSB is not a revision (of a revision of a revision...) of the King James Version, so it doesn't flow in the "Tyndale tradition" like, say, the ESV. But that's OK. Although I use the KJV as my "benchmark" bible, it's nice to have a translation with a different flow.

Not being an expert on ancient Hebrew and Greek, my impression is that the CSB is about as "literal" as the ESV, but, again, with a less KJV "feel." The CSB really excels in its economy of words, in that most passages seem to be rendered succinctly and efficiently. I like that; it feels like good writing.

The publisher seems to be aggressively marketing the CSB. For example, its twitter feed is active and useful, and the entire translation is already available on major online Bible platforms.

So if you're looking for a fresh, modern, and understandable translation, check it out. I leave you with a small sample, and a useful prayer (Psalm 25:4-5, CSB),

Make your ways known to me, Lord;
teach me your paths. 
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
I wait for you all day long.

Moses and the snake

In chapter 21 of Numbers, the Israelites begin grumbling at God, which prompts God to send poisonous snakes throughout the camp. When the people repent, God commands Moses (verse 8, KJV),

Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

Upon first glance, this seems like a strange passage. Why not just heal the afflicted? Why set up something that could easily become the object of idolatry?

As with many passages in the Old Testament, the full significance of the "snake on the pole" would not become evidence for several thousand years. Only when Jesus spoke with Nicodemus did the concept of something being hung on a pole come in to full focus (John 3:14-15, KJV),

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

I see three lessons here:

1. God's plan for salvation does not require much from us. Just look up at something!
2. The snake itself was insignificant, but it portends something far more important -- Jesus on the cross.
3. The Bible is meant to be consumed in its broad sweep. That is, the snake story seems strange in isolation, but it's meant to be interpreted alongside material from the New Testament.

So in our prayers today, let us "look up" to that simple, and gracious, offer of salvation.

Nothing really belongs to "us"

In 1 Samuel 30, David takes 400 men into battle against the Amalekites, but 200 men remain behind due to exhaustion. After the victory, a dispute breaks out regarding the spoils of the battle. The 400 men who went into battle argue (1 Samuel 30:22, KJV),

Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered.

But David answers (verses 23 and 24, KJV),

Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us ... but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.

In modern market-based systems, it's easy to view our money/houses/possessions as rewards for our hard work. We want to take ownership of those items and use them almost like trophies that testify to our ingenuity.

But this passage from 1 Samuel serves to remind that, whatever we have, and however we came about possessing it, it ultimately came from, and belongs to, God. And as such, it doesn't really belong to us, but should be used for the betterment of others.

This lack of covetousness is difficult; our brains want to covet! But we can train ourselves through diligent, and never-ceasing, prayer.