V E R Y Interesting - Pharaoh Necho - Not Fast Food!

Pharaoh Necho was Egypt's leader about the time of Judah's King Josiah ---in fact, Josiah was killed in battle with Necho, which in itself is a fascinating story- See 2 Kings 22-23 (609 BC).

Anyway, from non-biblical ancient sources we learn that Pharaoh Necho (Neco) commissioned a crew of Phoenician sailors to circumnavigate Africa--from east to west--from Egypt, south and around what was later named the Cape of Good Hope, then north up around Africa and through the Pillars of Hercules (which we now call Gibraltar) and back to Egypt, reporting to Necho at the mouth of the Nile.

The trip took 3 years...that's right, 3 years!

Here's the deal about that--the ships were small, each carrying about 50 sailors. We don't know how many ships. But we do know they were row galleys. There was limited space for fresh water and food.

"Since sea-going row galleys, with little storage space, had to keep a crew of at least 50 officers and oarsmen live and healthy, this Egyptian fleet had to stop ashore when autumn came, to plant, grow and reap a crop of grain. That was their only means of solving the logistics problem."

Imagine that! They had to stop regularly for food and water, and when food was scarce, they had to stop long enough to plant and reap a crop! Determination and perseverance...do we posses these qualities these days?


I found that great information while reading Samuel Eliot Morison's The Northern Voyages.

In those days, like in the days of Christ, people often nibbled on the grain itself. When Christ and His disciples wandered through a grain field (Matthew 12) eating the grains, it upset the Pharisees. Because they would rub the grain to remove the chaff, and that was considered preparing a meal, which they were not to do on the Sabbath!

Taking the grain was not the issue - God had told His people to leave grain in the field for the poor and strangers who needed food - so they were not stealing - they were working on the Sabbath! That was the issue.

I've always been curious--dining on kernels of grain doesn't sound that great. Sounds to me sort of like eating popcorn kernels before they are popped! I guess we are all just spoiled. I prefer my grain ground and made into bread and cakes and cookies!

Sally Lloyd-Jones - A happy/sad celebration/revival

One of my favorite books is a children's Bible story book by Sally Lloyd-Jones titled The Jesus Story Book Bible -- Every Story Whispers His Name.

I read it myself often and share it in Bible study classes.

This is how she paraphrases Nehemiah 8-10; Malachi 1, 3 and 4; and Ezra 7:

Have you ever been to a party that lasted a whole week? How about a sermon that went on all day?

Well, that's what happened to God's people after they came home from being slaves. They had forgotten how God wanted them to live, or who they were supposed to be. So Ezra and Nehemiah read them the rules God had given Moses.

But something odd happened: the more the sermon went on, the sadder they got. Why? Was the sermon that boring? No, not really. It was strange, you see. As Ezra read the book of rules, it worked like a mirror. It showed them what they were like, and they didn't like what they saw. They saw that they had not been living the way they should. They saw that they were cruel and selfish.

"We've blown it," they cried. "Now God will punish us!"


They thought they knew what God was going to do. But they didn't. Of course, they might have picked up a clue from Ezra's name, which means, "Help is here!" And an even stronger one from Nehemiah's name because his name means "God wipes away our tears."

And that, as you'll see, is just exactly what God was getting ready to do.

Ezra looked at God's children. Great, hot tears were welling up in their eyes, and streaming down their cheeks. He stopped his sermon--mid-sentence--and shut the book. "We're having a party!" he shouted.


And so that's just what they did! All week long.

"God wants us to be happy!" Ezra said.

All day they listened to stories about the wonderful things God had done for His people. How He made the world. How He gave a special promise to Abraham. How He rescued them from slavery. How He spoke to Moses and showed them how to live. How He brought them to a special land, how He rescued them -- no matter what -- time after time, over and over again -- because of His Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always Forever Love.

They remembered how God had always, all through the years, been loving His children -- keeping His promise to Abraham, taking care of them, forgiving them. Even when they disobeyed. Even when they ran away from Him. Even when they thought they didn't need Him.

Then God told His children something more...

I can't stop loving you.
You are My heart's treasure.
But I lost you. Now I am coming back for you.

I am like the sun that gently shines on you, chasing away darkness and fear and death.
You'll be so happy--
You'll be like little calves running free in an open field.

I am going to send My Messenger -- the Promised One.
The One you have been waiting for.
The Rescuer.

He is coming! So, get ready!

It had taken centuries for God's people to be ready, but now the time had almost come for the best part of God's Plan.

God Himself was going to come. Not to punish His people -- but to rescue them.

God was getting ready to wipe away every tear from every eye. And the true party was just about to begin....

Our Part Of Divine Happiness - C S Lewis

 

                                                   Our Part of Divine Happiness

Thoughts from C S  Lewis From The Promise of Glory

"In the end that Face which is the delight or the terror of the universe must be turned upon each of us, either with one expression or with the other, either conferring glory inexpressible or inflicting shame that can never be cured or disguised...

It is written that we shall 'stand before Him,' shall appear, shall be inspected.

The promise of glory is the promise, almost incredible and possible only by the work of Christ, that some of us, that any of us who really chooses, shall actually survive that examination, shall find approval, shall please God...

To please God -- to be an ingredient in DIvine Happiness...to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but be delighted in as an artist delights in his work, or a father in his son. It seems impossible, but so it is..."

Astonishing truth! We can please God...we can contribute to His Divine Happiness!

Who Wants to be a Slug? - Thoughts from C S Lewis

 

Thoughts on the Incarnation from C S Lewis

"The Second Person in God, the Son, became human Himself: was born into the world as an actual man -- a real man of a particular height, with hair of a particular color, speaking a particular language.

The Eternal Being, who knows everything and who has created the whole universe, became not only a man, but (before that) a baby, and before that a fetus inside a woman's body.

If you want to get the hand  of it, think how you would like to become a slug or a crab."

Good News from Psalm 65:3

 

 Good News from Psalm 65:3

"When we were overwhelmed by sin, You forgave our transgressions."

And it's all due to His grace.

So how should we live?

How should we display and extend to others the grace He has extended to us?

"Lord, because Your grace is underserved, I should be humble;

Because it is costly I should be holy and loving;

Because it is unconditional I should be at peace;

And always through it all I should be supremely grateful every moment.

Amen."

Humble, holy, loving, at peace..and grateful,,."Lord, help me to to others just as You have been to me!''