Pastor Bob DuPar
April 2, 2008

Journal Entry


Scripture

Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30; Luke 9:51-10:12; Psalm 74:1-23; Proverbs 12:11.

Observation

Today’s OT reading was rough. You don’t expect stuff like this to be in the Bible. So many of the laws and provisions seem antiquated, humanistic and down-right degrading. I trust that God was giving His people laws to help them in the situation and culture in which they found themselves and not a standard for future generations. For example, when God/Moses says,

“If a man has two wives…” (Deut. 21:15)

Is God condoning polygamy? Of course not.

Or, the man who meets a virgin not pledged to be married and rapes her. He is fined and then told that he can never divorce her as long as he lives (Deut. 22:28-29). This sounds more punishing to the poor girl who is raped. First, she is violated. Then second, she is forced to spend the rest of her life with this monster. And, the hardest part for me is that the man who rapes a woman is stoned to death if she is pledged to be married, but only fined if she is not pledged to be married. How is the violation and offense to the woman any less damaging or scarring? Tuff stuff. I don’t pretend to understand it.

On a lighter note, I like Proverbs 12:11, “He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.” This verse seems to speak to a lot of the get rich quick schemes we are bombarded with today.

Application

I don’t understand all of Scripture, but I trust the God who wrote it. Many times the Bible doesn’t make sense to me, but then I don’t expect a multidimensional, infinite, God to always make sense to my one dimensional, finite, mind and reasoning. I guess at the end of the day, I’m more concerned and fearful of a god who always makes sense to me and does things just like I would do them.

Prayer

“God, thank You that Your ways are higher than my ways and Your thoughts than my thoughts. Help me to continue to trust You for the things that I don’t understand. And, please give me wisdom and insight as I try to explain difficult things to those who have questions.”