Musings From A Rolling Eyed Turtle

Posts

Strike Your Thigh

Maybe some obscure outward expressions still have their place. The one I have in mind is not one we normally see in this day and age. In fact, on the surface, it does not seem to be very important, that is until you do further research! This one is found in the book of Jeremiah: “ For after I had turned away, I relented, and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh; I was ashamed, and I was confounded, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.” (Jer 31:19) Evidently, in ancient Near Eastern societies, striking the thigh was an expression of deep sorrow and regret. The physical act symbolized the internal anguish of wrongdoing. In particular, the gesture showed shock over sin’s ugliness and if it was your own sin, then the gesture might include repentance. In using today’s wording, it obviously wasn’t just an “oops” or “my bad”! In the context of the verse in Jeremiah, it was about the journey of the nation of Israel. The ...

Hit the Nail Right on the Head!

I shouldn’t be surprised, but sometimes I am. I read the Word of God and there’s something there that seems to hit the nail on the head of what I am feeling or going through. Case in point: I recently read a passage with two words, weary and languishing, and I have to admit that I own them both, albeit reluctantly! Weary: physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion or strain. Languishing: to lose vitality, weaken, or suffer from being stuck in an unpleasant or neglected state. I would hazard to guess that many of us have felt that physical weariness. And I would also guess that a lot of us have felt like they were languishing physically. But I would suggest that while we can feel those both physically, there are also times when we feel them mentally or even spiritually. And that’s where Jeremiah 31:25 comes in, the verse where I read those two words: “ For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” ...

An Intimate Friendship With God?

In the twenty-ninth chapter of Job, we find Job mentioning an incredible relationship that he had once experienced: “just as was in my most productive time, when God’s intimate friendship was experienced in my tent.” (Job 29:4) What in the world could “when God’s intimate friendship was experienced in my tent” possibly mean? First, let’s look at the phrase “in my tent”. Depending on the translation, the phrase might also be “on my tent” or “upon my tent” or “over my tent”. Regardless of in, on, over or upon one’s tent, the Bible Hub website indicates that the “tent” symbolizes a household upon which God’s favor had been extended. Yet it wasn’t just God’s favor that Job was experiencing. The Pulpit Commentary indicates that the phrase “God’s intimate friendship was experienced” could mean something like this: “In my tent I held sweet counsel with God, and communed with him as friend with friend”. There was also a theological meaning to it a...

God Saw, God Knew

Just three words but they speak volumes: “and God knew”. Double that number and you get the six words that immediately precede those three: “God saw the people of Israel”. Those also speak volumes! In putting them together, as they are found in the ESV, we read: “God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.” (Ex 2:25) The context for those nine words is that the people of Israel were in slavery in Egypt and they were groaning because of it. They cried out to be rescued and their cry came up to God and He saw and He knew. The words not only speak volumes about God but they also ushered in God’s calling of Moses to bring the Jewish people out of slavery. And Moses responded to that calling and led the Jewish people out of Egypt and out of slavery! We call it the Exodus. But let’s take a deeper look at the six words (God saw the people of Israel). From what I can gather, “God saw” suggests that God actively sees His people’s dis...

He's Got My Back!

There are some word pictures that have been bringing me encouragement and peace and yet I feel like I am only scratching the surface of them. They can be seen in Psalm 139 and Isaiah 52: You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. (Ps 139:5) For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. (Isa 52:12) The phrase “You hem me in, behind and before”, means that God completely surrounds us. And in the context of this verse, it suggest guarding a valuable object. The phrase “and lay your hand upon me” points to the Biblical picture of the laying on of hands. The laying on of hands was a significant act, often associated with blessing, commissioning, or imparting authority. In this case, it represented the hand of God bringing blessing by directing and sustaining. The phrase “for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will b...

Conspiracies Conspire

No sugar-coating here, just the brutal reality of conspiracies against political leaders: “His officials conspired against him and assassinated him at Beth Millo, on the road down to Silla.” (2 Kings 12:20). One definition of “conspire” is to join in a secret agreement to do an unlawful or wrongful act. That definition most certainly applied in that situation! And take a look at the perspective of one to whom conspiracies were targeted. King David wrote this: “For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.” (Ps 71:10). Imagine living as a political leader knowing that you could be surrounded by conspirators just looking for the right opportunity to get rid of you! Conspiracies have been occurring for millennia and continue today. But perhaps overshadowing and outnumbering actual conspiracies are conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories are defined as a belief that some influential or controlling o...