Tag: God

The Election Is Over…Now What?

Carl Pollard

Another election has come and gone. Some people are celebrating. Others are frustrated. And by the looks of social media, some people probably need to put their phones down for a few days.

But regardless of how you feel about the results, I think there’s something Christians need to seriously think about. We can’t expect our country to uphold biblical values that we aren’t willing to practice ourselves.

Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Notice that Solomon doesn’t mention the economy, military strength, or political leadership. He points to righteousness.

Don’t misunderstand me, elections matter and our laws matter. The people making decisions for our country matter. And Christians ought to care deeply about the direction our nation is heading. But there’s something incredibly inconsistent about demanding that politicians defend biblical morality while Christians often compromise it.

We want leaders who respect marriage. Are we honoring ours? We want a society that values children. Are we raising ours to know the Lord? We want people to respect God’s Word. Do we actually know what it says? We want Christianity protected in America. But are we doing anything with the freedom we already have?

It’s easy to get worked up over what’s happening in Washington while ignoring what’s happening in our own homes. Jesus never told His disciples to wait until Rome became more favorable toward Christianity before they started living faithfully. In Matthew 5:13–16, He told them to be salt and light in a world that desperately needed both.

And that’s still our responsibility. We should never apologize for what Scripture teaches. Not about marriage, morality, the sanctity of life, or the exclusivity of Christ. But we also need to make sure our conduct gives people a reason to take those convictions seriously.

The truth doesn’t need to be rewritten to accommodate the culture. It needs to be believed, taught, defended, and lived. What good is it to win a political argument if we’re losing our influence for Christ?

I’m thankful we have the opportunity to vote. I’m thankful we can speak freely about our convictions. But I don’t want us to become so consumed with protecting Christianity politically that we fail to practice it personally.

The election may determine who holds office. It doesn’t determine whether we obey God. That decision is ours, every single day.

The Old Testament Is Fascinating

Gary Pollard

When I started this series, I didn’t expect to write more than one or two articles on astronomical references in the Bible. We’re just getting started on this series, so before it goes any further I should offer some explanation (maybe also justification) for why I’m pursuing this line of inquiry in the Bible.

For the last several years, my personal study focus has been on the New Testament. Greek feels more natural than Hebrew to my limited brain, so I haven’t spent much time in the writings of the Jews. For personal research projects, I’ve spent most of my time in ancient Semitic and Near Eastern texts (other than the relatively late Jewish texts), Chinese, Greek and Latin, and Mesoamerican texts (with very few exceptions, not in their original or ancient translation languages…but I understand now why the gift of tongues was so coveted in the early church). After gaining some familiarity with the contents of these old texts, I started to notice that some of the most bizarre aspects of a myth or history or religious belief would show up in texts written by people who couldn’t have had any contact with each other. Most of it seemed to be celestial in nature (i.e., planets and stars), most of it had to do with great catastrophes. Up to this point, I’d had no interest in astronomy, cosmology, or cosmogony.

Two things later happened: I wanted to check my work against other commentators’ writings to confirm or invalidate these observations; and I wanted to see if these same themes were present to any degree in the Bible. To my great chagrin, the only people who seemed to notice some of the same things were almost universally labeled with the prefix “pseudo-“. So I studied the consensus opinions and found them to be too heavily built on modern prejudices and arrogance. These observations (in consensus view) couldn’t be correct because they strongly disagree with our modern, superior understanding of origins and history.

To the pseudo-crowd, then. Their writings, while seemingly more intellectually honest, were problematic for their own reasons. They were built on late mysticism or alternative sciences (which still sought to displace God), or were used to justify pet worldviews. Both consensus and “pseudo” writings are far from monolithic, they exist on something of a spectrum. But no group I’ve yet encountered — wherever they exist in their respective spectrums — fully account for all observations in these texts.

To the Old Testament, then. These global themes absolutely exist in the ancient Jewish texts! Some things became more clear. One was why Moses kept repeating, “Don’t worship the planets and stars. Fear YHWH alone.” That’s hard to wrap my brain around, honestly. One has to be interested in astronomy or astrophotography to reliably identify the same celestial object night after night. And planets are virtually indistinguishable from stars for the overwhelming majority of people.

Yet, every culture in the ancient world worshiped deities associated with a single celestial body. With free time, dark skies, and patient observation, single celestial objects can be tracked night after night (while visible). The ancients certainly had those prerequisites. But the explanations for idolatrous worship and fear of false gods seemed inadequate and weak, both in secular and Christian circles. Unless our atmosphere was composed primarily of LSD in the ancient world, the global fear and mourning and other universally-experienced extreme emotions and behaviors over these “gods” didn’t seem to be adequately explained.

Mass deception, hysteria, or psychosis? Maybe. But why do the most prominent gods share many of the same specific, often-bizarre characteristics, no matter where they are on earth? What compelled the ancients to track certain celestial movements (especially planets) so meticulously? What is it about celestial bodies that would drive so many disparate cultures to worship them, study them, and create stories about them that had to be repeated through the generations? Maybe they were just dumb. But the architecture these cultures left behind invalidates that assumption immediately! We would be hard pressed today to replicate some of the great structures of the ancient past — if we could do it at all.

As of right now, my conclusion is that the past is shrouded in too much uncertainty to be dogmatic. Many texts are incomplete and written in languages we still don’t fully understand. It’s impossible to completely rid ourselves of bias while studying texts written long ago by people whose world was, in many ways, different from our own. Ancient and modern commentators all read the same texts and came away with sometimes radically different interpretations because the texts were filtered through a worldview. Translation is interpretation and far from immune to the worldview problem. It’s a problem we may not ever be able to solve!

As for astronomical interpretations, I’ve studied cosmology enough to know that it (whether ΛCDM, MOND, String Theory, EU/Plasma, or any other system) is based heavily on educated guesswork and assumption and theoretical math. It’s almost as if the human mind is incapable of grasping the Creator and the full magnitude of creation. However, some things are clearer than others. In my limited and fallible opinion, it could not be more clear that the ancient stories ultimately have something to do with the skies. There seems to be an inseparable connection between the universal memory of global catastrophe (after an age of paradise) and a celestial cause of some kind. By studying the Old Testament (sometimes other Jewish texts if relevant) to see how and where these themes overlap, maybe we’ll come to a better understanding of these events. Since the same language is sometimes used in passages that might be eschatological, this study should at least be interesting.

In summary, the assumption I will carry throughout this study is that scripture is more reliable than other ancient sources. I do believe there was divine guidance in what was preserved, but do not dispute that much older material was sometimes adapted. In those cases, the older material was probably accurate but needed revision and/or was a convenient medium due to its familiarity. Where the pagan deified whatever caused both Paradise and Destruction, those who worshiped YHWH — led by someone who had had unlimited access to ancient data I would do almost anything to be able to study (c.f. Acts 7.22) and personal conversations with God — knew that these were sent by the Creator and were not themselves divine. Well, that was sometimes true. From their beginning, Israel worshiped false deities that have been identified since at least Classical Antiquity with the planets we call Venus, Mars, and Saturn. Moses and the Prophets perpetually struggled to keep God’s Chosen (at that time) from worshiping the hosts of heaven. This study is essentially my research on this topic as it develops. I will sometimes cite secular works (often by authors rejected by mainstream science and history). Their works have been useful for pointing me at primary sources and offering alternative explanations for obscure passages. I reject their worldviews almost entirely, disagree strongly with some of their conclusions (especially concerning God), and do not blindly accept any alternative explanation. However, their work can be quite valuable and they deserve credit when their writings are consulted. No citations should be construed as endorsement, unless otherwise stated.

Tall Tales of Giants in the Ancient World

Dale Pollard

The Romans and the Greeks wrote quite a bit about two tribes that migrated into their neck of the woods from the isolated North between 113 and 101 BC. No direct records or remarks from these tribes, known as the Cimbri or Teutones, survive but those who fought them felt the need to jot it down. They were huge, terrifying, and some even took them to be something other than human. The king of the Teutones was especially freaky. Here’s what the old folks had to say about them.

Lucius Annaeus Florus (Epitome of Roman History, Book I, Chapter 38)

“King Teutobochus himself, who had been accustomed to vault over four or five horses at a time, could scarcely mount a single one when he was led in the triumph; and he was a conspicuous object in the rest of the procession of captives because of his extraordinary height.”

Plutarch (Life of Marius, Chapter 24)

While describing the entire army (or several of their warriors), Plutarch says the following:

“…uttering a strange and savage cry, not like that of human beings… their bodies were wonderful for their size, and they were in no way like any other men of that time.”

He briefly notes the king’s size as well. He spake thus:

“Marius ordered Teutobod, the king of the Teutons, to be brought out in chains; for he was seen to be of immense and prodigious stature (Life of Marius, Chapter 27).

Velleius Paterculus (Roman History, Book II)

Writing in the 1st century AD, Roman historian Paterculus detailed the panic that throttled Rome during the first scraps of the Cimbrian invasion. He makes it sound as though the tribal army was more like a plague of giants. He spoke thusly:

“Then appeared the Cimbri and the Teutones… a huge multitude of young men, of immense physical size and monstrous strength.”

What Happened to the Giants?

The post-fall and post-flood world began with the slow decline in height and strength of the giant races. Thoughtful theories and speculations are proposed, such as the deterioration of their DNA through genetic lines, radical changes in the earth’s atmosphere, and possible health-related issues. While the more scientific explanation(s) could shed light on their decline and ultimate disappearance, the commonsense philosophy of Occam’s razor indicates that the most simplistic answers are often the closest to the truth. The simple answer? Many accounts describing giants depict them as mighty warriors. Their heads were highly coveted as trophies of war, and any giant-slayer was surely bound to be immortalized in history. The many harrowing attempts to kill a giant on the battlefield were successful and those men reached legendary status— their stories told for thousands of years (2 Samuel 23.8-38).

In the Bible, the through-line is clear. When giants show up, God is about to prove who’s bigger. In a world full of giants, no matter who you’re up against– God’s got your back.

2 Kings 17

Gary Pollard

The king of Assyria took the Israelites out of Samaria and brought in other people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim. They took over Samaria and lived in the cities around it. When these people began to live in Samaria, they did not honor the LORD, so the LORD sent lions to attack them. The lions killed some of them. Some people said to the king of Assyria, “The people who you took away and put in the cities of Samaria don’t know the law of the god of that country. So that god sent lions to attack them. The lions killed them because they don’t know the law of the god of that country.”

So the king of Assyria gave this command: “You took some priests from Samaria. Send one of them who I captured back to Samaria. Let that priest go and live there. Then he can teach the people the law of the god of that country.” So one of the priests who the Assyrians had carried away from Samaria came to live in Bethel. He taught the people how they should honor the LORD. But all those people made gods of their own. They put them in the temples at the high places that the people of Samaria had made. They did this wherever they lived.

The people of Babylon made the false god Succoth Benoth.1 The people of Cuthah made the false god Nergal2. The people of Hamath made the false god Ashima.3 The people of Avva made the false gods Nibhaz and Tartak4. The people from Sepharvaim also burned their children in the fire to honor their false gods, Adrammelech and Anammelech5. But they also worshiped the LORD. They chose priests for the high places from among the people. These priests made sacrifices for the people in the temples at those places of worship. They were afraid6 of the LORD but also served their own gods, just as they did in their own countries.

Even today, they live the same way they did in the past. They don’t honor the LORD. They don’t obey the rules and commands of the Israelites. They don’t obey the law or the commands that the LORD gave to the children of Jacob. The LORD made an agreement with the Israelites. He commanded them, “You must not honor other gods. You must not worship them or serve them or offer sacrifices to them. But you must follow the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt. He used his great power to save you. You must worship him and make sacrifices to him. You must obey the rules, laws, teachings, and commands that he wrote for you. You must obey these things all the time. You must not be afraid of other gods. You must not forget the agreement that I made with you. You must not be afraid of other gods. No, you must be afraid only of the LORD your God. Then he will save you from all your enemies.”

But the Israelites did not listen. They kept on doing the same things they did before. So now those other nations were afraid of the LORD, but they also served their own idols. Their children and grandchildren did the same thing their ancestors did. They still do these things to this day.7

1 Sarpanitu, “the shining one,” was the goddess of fertility associated with the planet Venus and may have been analogous to Ishtar. She was worshiped as “mother goddess and chief consort of Marduk” (britishmuseum.org, Sarpanit). II Kgs calls Succoth Benoth a god, not a goddess. Either this was a jab (it could mean tents of daughters), a corruption over time of the original spelling, or actually a reference to Marduk/Enlil (ISBE: Sakut(h)ban’wat(h)), who was Jupiter.

2 Mars

3 Much uncertainty with this one. It could be related to the Hb word meaning “guilt” but that makes little sense to me. If any false deity in this list deserves to be ridiculed, why not one of the supreme Babylonian gods like Nergal?  Ashima/Ashimath was associated with Σειμιος, from “sign”. This god was associated with Tammuz, which helps us potentially identify who it is. According to ISBE, Tammuz was the same as Adhon of the Phoenicians (Syr. Adon), the god of vegetation, winter, life and death cycles. Tammuz was said to be the consort of Ishtar (Venus) and Adonis (the Greek version) of Aphrodite (Venus). Therefore, Tammuz/Ashima/Adon is likely Mars. At Baalbek, Seimos was worshipped with an ornate staff or pole, which was typical of Mars-figure worship all over the world.

4 The name Nibhaz appears to mean “sacrificial altar” and may not lend itself toward a singular meaning. Tartak has several potential meanings, but one possibility seems to fit this context best: Tarthakh was the Persian deity worshiped as the Hero of Darkness/Intense Darkness. The archetypal similarities between Tarthakh and other Mars figures are too many to be coincidence. Considering that many of the false gods in this list appear to be Mars figures, we could safely identify Tartak as the Avvite equivalent of Nergal-Mars. Perhaps Nibhaz was the altar used to sacrifice to this false god and — possibly related to the world pillar/mountain archetype — was itself deified by the Avvites.

5 This pair may be related to Nibhaz-Tartak and Milcom-Ashtoreth and Baal-Asherah. The child sacrifice element, the melech (king) ending, and one version’s association with the underworld (Malik) are consistent with this identification. Anammelech means Anu is king, and may suggest another interpretation. The Akkadian Anu (Gk. Ouranos) was considered “father of the gods” and has been traditionally associated with just the sky. But as Cardona has pointed out (I generally disagree with his views, but his work is meticulous and occasionally useful), “But that An, in his Akkadian version of Anu, was a radiating body in the sky is ascertained not only…by the cuneiform sign which designates him, the stylized picture of a star — * — but also by the allusion to the “terror of his splendour” radiating “in the midst of heaven” (Cardona, D. 2006. God star. Trafford Publishing. pp. 167-168). He makes a compelling case for Anu’s identification with Saturn. Adrammelech is likely Jupiter (via Adad, the thunderbolt-wielding storm god).

6 Hb yr, terror, fear, awesome, dread

7 Israel named a month in two calendars after Tammuz-Mars.

Styrofoam Strength

Neal Pollard

Polystyrene was accidentally discovered by a German apothecary named Eduard Simon in 1839. He had no idea what to do with the polymer and it would not be used in manufacturing for more than a century. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1950s that it was used in packaging, insulation, and food containers. Its versatility became somewhat its trademark.

Environmental awareness led to its ban in a growing number of places due to the difficulty of recycling the material. But the plastics industry and entrepreneurs’ innovative spirit continue to find applications for it–fill material in civil engineering projects like roads and retaining walls, forms and molds in concrete work, insulation panels, floating docks and other nautical items, sound absorption panels, and more. You’ll find it in homes, cars, airplanes, ships, and nearly every public space.

It’s flimsy, yet resilient. It’s flexible in utility. It is often unseen while serving a vital function. It’s found in so many different places doing so many different things.

You and I were no accident. Our Maker knew exactly what He wanted us to be. The mastery of His work is such that we are capable of so many different purposes, all of which are meant to be useful and helpful to those around us. We’re pretty unremarkable and fragile in so many ways, yet our service and actions can outlive us for a long, long time. Romans 12:6-8 highlights all the potential ways we can be used by God to accomplish His purpose. None of these is insignificant (Ephesians 4:12-16). What’s more enjoyable than looking for new ways to be used for God’s glory?

Paul uses a different substance to describe us, but the idea is quite similar. He says, “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:5-7). We are earthen vessels, unspectacular of ourselves. But God utilizes us to share the most important message of history. Because of Him, we have value. Despite our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 4:16-18), He displays His strength through us to His glory! May we never forget that we were made for His purpose and never discount our value in His hand!

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The Sin of Doing Nothing

Carl Pollard

In Genesis, we’re introduced to two brothers, Jacob and Esau. Their relationship was filled with jealousy, deception, and anger. Esau even threatened to kill Jacob. Yet years later, the brothers reunited, embraced, and wept together (Genesis 33:4).

Centuries passed. Jacob’s descendants became Israel, and Esau’s descendants became Edom. When Jerusalem was invaded and its people were suffering, Edom had an opportunity to help. Instead, they stood by and watched.

In Obadiah 11, God condemned Edom, saying, “On the day that you stood aloof… you were like one of them.” God placed Edom alongside the enemies who attacked Jerusalem! Their guilt began with their refusal to help.

The Sin of Indifference

Jesus told a similar story in Luke 10. A man was beaten, robbed, and left half dead. A priest saw him and passed by. A Levite did the same. Then a Samaritan stopped, showed compassion, and cared for his wounds. All three saw the same suffering. Only one responded. How often do we recognize someone struggling and assume somebody else will help? James 4:17 says, “Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

The Sin of Rejoicing

Obadiah 12 reveals that Edom actually rejoiced over Judah’s destruction. It’s disturbing how easily we can find satisfaction in another person’s failure. Someone’s marriage falls apart. Someone makes a terrible mistake. Someone who mistreated us experiences hardship. And somewhere in our hearts, we think they finally got what they deserved. In Proverbs 24:17 Solomon says, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls.” The way we respond to another person’s suffering reveals something about our hearts.

The Sin of Exploitation

In Obadiah 13–14, Edom went even further. They plundered Judah and intercepted people fleeing for their lives. The people who should have offered refuge became another source of suffering. Galatians 6:1 teaches us to restore those caught in sin with gentleness. When someone is already hurting, our responsibility is to help them recover.

Is there someone you’ve been meaning to call? Someone struggling spiritually? Someone carrying a burden you could help lighten? We can’t solve every problem, but we can respond to the needs within our reach.

Edom stood aloof. The priest and Levite passed by. The Samaritan stopped. When someone needs you, which one will you be?

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The Curious Case Of The Caratinga Cow

Dale Pollard

We know that tomorrow isn’t promised and we also understand that, unless God comes first, everyone will die one day. With that being said, I am almost 100% certain that nobody reading this will pass from this life after having a cow fall through your roof. The “steaks” just aren’t that high. While this is an unlikely way to die, it’s not an impossible way to go. In fact, this is exactly what happened to Joao Souza in 2013. A one-ton cow was grazing on the hills behind his home in Caratinga before it somehow found it’s way up on to his roof. An unknowing Souza was snoozing on his couch when suddenly his life was over. The asbestos-filled roof collapsed under the weight of the cow. Being done in by a bovine is not exactly a bodacious way to make that final transition, but the media had reported two more similar events of cows seemingly falling from the sky in this area just two years prior. Even though this event actually occurred, how ridiculous would it be for us to spend our days in fear— worrying that we will meet a similar fate? 

The last verse of Matthew six will tell you not to exert so much energy worrying about tomorrow. This passage has brought peace and comfort to many Christians throughout the years, but many of us still worry about our tomorrows. I guess if our tomorrows were actually ours to begin with, we may really have something to fear. The truth is, God owns the future. He doesn’t tell us not to worry about the things that are unlikely to happen, He simply tells us not to worry. God’s almighty hand still holds the world, and for the faithful believer this reality can set your mind to rest. I’m not sure what tomorrow brings. It’s possible that a cow could even come crashing through my roof and send me into eternity— but that’s alright. It’s not just alright because I could use a little more dairy in my diet, but it’s alright because a life in Christ comes with a secure future. It doesn’t matter what Fox News tells us when the Good News already told us everything we need to know. No matter what the day may bring nothing can change the fact that Jesus came, He died, and He definitely is alive, well, and active every day. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Let’s live our lives with joy and in the peace only He can provide.

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Who’s Gonna Feed Them Hogs?

Brent Pollard

On a recent drive home, Tom T. Hall’s “Who’s Gonna Feed Them Hogs” played on the radio. The song’s story of a hog farmer whose life is unexpectedly imperiled strikes a chord with people of faith, who can identify at least three salient points from Scripture in its lyrics. The old man decides that because his pens are full of hogs needing tending, he cannot die, and he makes a remarkable recovery.

1. Feed the Hogs: Responsibility as Biblical Stewardship (Proverbs 27.23)

First, the song touches on responsibility. Someone has to feed all those hogs. The farmer’s concern is not inherently wrong. He has 400 hogs that require tending. As good stewards of what God has entrusted to us, we see that a righteous man cares for his animals (Proverbs 12.10a). Solomon advises: “Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds” (Proverbs 27.23). Biblical faith is not an excuse for irresponsibility. We have families to provide for, work to perform, congregations to serve, and promises to keep. In this, Tom T. Hall’s farmer deserves commendation. He cares about what has been entrusted to him.

2. Tomorrow’s Plans Are Written in Pencil (James 4.13-17)

However, the farmer’s awareness of his mortality should also have led him to reflect on the truth James points out in the fourth chapter of his epistle (vv. 13-17). Whereas the farmer had expected a routine day of chores, he is unexpectedly hospitalized and facing death. The merchants in James 4 say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit” (13). James replies: “…you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow” (14). The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12.16-21) dovetails nicely with this thought.

Full Barns and Full Pens: The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12.16-21)

The rich fool had barns full of crops. In fact, he had to build more barns to house his surplus. The hog farmer of Hall’s song had pens full of 400 hogs. Death says to both of them, in effect: “What happens to all of this if tonight is your last night?” However, a key difference remains. The rich fool trusted his possessions. As such, he showed where he invested his heart (Luke 12.34). Jesus warns that only hearts invested in heaven have eternal security (Matthew 6.19-21). In contrast, the hog farmer was worried about responsibilities. Yet both confront the same fact: Tomorrow’s plans are always written in pencil.

3. The Delusion of Being Indispensable (Matthew 6.25-34; Psalm 127.1-2)

Ultimately, we arrive at our strongest application for this illustration. The farmer’s anxiety arose from his delusion that he was indispensable. He asks: “If I’m not there, who’s gonna feed them hogs?” Metaphorically speaking, we all have our hogs. Who will take care of my family? Who will teach my class? Who’s going to do this job? Who will carry out this church program? Who will solve this problem if I don’t? This brings us to Matthew 6.25-34 and Psalm 127.1-2. Don’t give in to anxiety and let God build the house.

When Stewardship Mutates Into Anxiety

I am confident in making this point, having already stressed responsibility. We should work diligently. But stewardship can mutate into anxiety, and we can begin to behave as though everything depends on us. “God has given me something to do” becomes “Nothing can function without me.” The first is stewardship, and the second is a burden God never gave. That gives us a memorable progression and our three points.

  • Feed the hogs.
  • Don’t presume you will be here to feed them tomorrow.
  • Trust God when it’s time for someone else to feed them.

What Falls Under These Three Points

Other issues lurk around the periphery—worry, priorities, life’s brevity, wealth, legacy, even preparing others to assume our responsibilities (see 2 Timothy 2.2). However, these all fall beneath the umbrella of the three areas we have already discussed, not creating new categories.

The Hogs Will Get Fed Without Us

The song’s humor makes the third point especially effective. The old hog farmer essentially tells death, “You’ll have to come back for me later because I have 400 hogs depending on me.” And sooner or later, everyone must learn that the hogs will get fed without us. That, too, is God’s providence. It’s not an argument that our lives don’t matter, far from it. It is the argument that God remains God even when our shift is finally over.

Naming Your Own Hogs

So, what are your hogs? Name them honestly, then tend to them faithfully. Work like the task matters, since it does. Yet hold it loosely enough to lay it down when the time comes, trusting that the God who entrusted you with the work will not abandon it when you are gone. God requires faithfulness in our shift, not permanence in it.

Remember God 

Carl Pollard

My wife and I were talking the other night about the ladies’ class she just started teaching at church. During our conversation, we ended up walking through Deuteronomy 6–8, and I was amazed by just how practical and relevant these chapters still are for us today. There’s a lot here that hits close to home. So, here’s what stood out to me.

Israel was standing on the edge of a new life. The generation that left Egypt had largely died in the wilderness, and their children were preparing to enter the land God had promised them. Moses knew he wouldnt cross the Jordan with them, so he used his final days to prepare them for what was ahead.

One of his greatest concerns was forgetfulness.

Israel knew how to depend on God in the wilderness. They had been hungry, thirsty, surrounded by enemies, and completely dependent upon God’s provision. Now they were about to experience something very different. They were going to live in cities they didn’t build, drink from wells they didn’t dig, and eat from vineyards they didn’t plant.

Moses warned them, “Take care lest you forget the LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:12).

The answer to forgetfulness began in the heart. Moses told Israel, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (6:5). Their relationship with God was supposed to shape every part of life. His words were to be on their hearts, taught diligently to their children, and discussed throughout the ordinary routines of the day.

Their children needed to know why they lived this way. When they asked, Moses told the parents to tell them the story, “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand” (6:21).

They were to remember where they came from and who brought them out.

Chapter 7 reminds Israel that they belonged to God. They were His “treasured possession” (7:6). God had chosen them because of His love and His faithfulness. When they faced nations stronger than themselves, they were to remember what God had already done to Pharaoh and Egypt. Remembering yesterday’s faithfulness would give them courage for tomorrow.

Then chapter 8 takes the warning even further. Moses tells them to remember the wilderness. God had humbled them, tested them, fed them with manna, and sustained them for forty years. Even the hard years had served a purpose.

Soon their houses would be built, their stomachs would be full, and their possessions would multiply. That success carried its own spiritual danger. Moses warned that they might eventually say, “My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth” (8:17).

His answer was simple, “You shall remember the LORD your God.”

That message still matters for Christian’s today! 

Remember who carried you through the hard years. Remember who provided when you had very little. Remember the prayers He answered and the doors He opened. Remember that even your ability to work, build, earn, and accomplish comes from Him.

And when your children ask why God matters so much to you, tell them the story! Tell them about the God who brought you here.

Love Your Enemies

Carl Pollard

When we hear the word “enemy,” we tend to think of somebody extreme, like a terrorist, a criminal, or someone actively trying to destroy us. But most of us have enemies in a much more ordinary sense.

An enemy might be someone who embarrassed you, lied about you, betrayed your trust, or hurt your family. It might even be someone you secretly enjoy seeing fail because of how they’ve treated you.

Jesus gave us an incredibly difficult command, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

This command would be easier if Jesus just told us to leave our enemies alone. But He tells us to LOVE them! But the question is, what does that actually look like?

First, it means praying for people who have wronged us. While Jesus was being crucified, He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Stephen prayed for the very people stoning him (Acts 7:60). It’s difficult to sincerely pray for someone’s salvation while secretly hoping for their destruction.

Second, it means loving people who don’t deserve it. Jesus reminds us that God sends sunlight and rain on the righteous and unrighteous alike (Matthew 5:45). God shows goodness every day to people who curse His name. Our natural instinct is to treat people according to how they treat us. Jesus teaches us to treat people according to the character of our Father.

Romans 5:10 says, “While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.” At one point, WE were the enemies! 

God didn’t wait for us to become lovable before demonstrating His love. Christ died for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).

So here’s the question for you. Is there someone you would struggle to see God forgive? Someone whose salvation would bother you because of what they’ve done?

Sometimes our greatest struggle isn’t believing God will forgive us. It’s accepting that He’s willing to forgive them.

Jesus doesn’t ask us to call our enemies good. He asks us to do good to our enemies.

We love our enemies because our Father loved His.

The Bible And Magic

Dale Pollard

The Bible is surprisingly full of strange references to divination, sorcery, and attempts to communicate with the supernatural.

One of the strangest appears in Acts 19. When Paul preached in Ephesus, people who had practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them publicly. Luke says the value of the books came to 50,000 silver pieces (Acts 19.19).

These weren’t ordinary books. Ephesus was famous throughout the ancient world for magical formulas and amulets known as the “Ephesian letters.” Ancient writers describe these as combinations of mysterious words and symbols believed to provide supernatural protection or have other magical effects.

Then there is an even stranger passage in Hosea 4.12:

“My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff speaks to them.”

The Hebrew word translated “staff” refers to a rod or piece of wood used for divination. Old Christian commentators, Cyril of Alexandria and Theophylact, described a practice in which two sticks were erected and a charm was spoken; the direction in which they fell was interpreted as an answer. Later commentators called this rhabdomancy—divination by rods.

It wasn’t the only form of forbidden supernatural practice, though. Deuteronomy 18.10–12 lists divination, interpreting omens, sorcery, spellcasting, consulting mediums, and communicating with the dead. 1 Samuel 28 then gives one of the Bible’s most infamous examples. Saul visits the medium of Endor and asks her to summon the deceased prophet Samuel.

The Bible even portrays magical practitioners appearing to accomplish supernatural signs. Pharaoh’s magicians imitate some of Moses’ miracles in Exodus 7–8, while Simon the Magician amazes people in Acts 8, and Elymas the sorcerer opposes Paul in Acts 13.

The biblical writers knew the ancient world was filled with people who claimed to manipulate, discover, or communicate with hidden powers—and they repeatedly warned Israel and the early Christians not to seek any power that wasn’t from God.

Singing With The Understanding: “Whispering Hope”

Neal Pollard

English is a living language and poetic wording requires interpretation. When we come to interpret poetic words written long ago, we can easily find ourselves failing to understand meaning. This is true of our worship in song, as we sing words that we may fail to comprehend. Because we are worshipping God, we want to correct this whenever necessary.

The hymn, Whispering Hope, is soft and sentimental, having a beautiful tune that makes a favorite almost 160 years after it was written. Septimus Winner, the author of the song, is probably as well known for children’s songs like Listen To The Mockingbird and Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone? A song that would later become a bluegrass standard, What Is Home Without A Mother, was also a Winner song.

Winner writes in the poetic style of the 19th Century for the song we sometimes sing in church. The first verse personifies hope with these eloquent words: “Soft as the voice of an angel, breathing a lesson unheard, hope with a gentle persuasion, whispers her comforting word.” This seems to suggest that, at times, hope is a feeling without words that can grow and move us to trust the One who gives it. What encouragement can we have faith in? The message of hope: “Wait till the darkness is over, wait till the tempest is done. Hope for the sunshine tomorrow, after the shower is done.” Things may be going badly now, but wait and hope. Things will get better.

This same mindset of waiting and trusting is depicted in the second verse, if the lyrics are complicated. Winner writes, “If, in the dusk of the twilight, dim be the region afar, will not the deepening darkness, brighten the glimmering star? Then when the night is upon us, why should the heart sink away? When the dark midnight is over, watch for the breaking of day.” The entire verse pictures how, when we are suffering, struggling, or enduring something difficult, it can serve to help us see the promises of hope that will be realized whether after the trial or at the very end. Hope will not disappoint (cf. Romans 5:5).

The last verse includes some words we don’t use or may struggle to understand. It begins with a clear allusion to Hebrews 6:19: “Hope, as an anchor so steadfast, rends (rips or tears, NP) the dark veil for the soul.” The latter phrase makes me think of what happened to the temple curtain separating the holy place and most holy place when Jesus died on the cross (see Matthew 27:51). Hope not only anchors us, but through it God shows His power. “Whither (where, NP) the Master has entered, robbing the grave of its goal.” We have hope because death has been defeated (1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Hebrews 2:14-15). “Come then, O come, glad fruition (the realization of hope, NP), come to my sad weary heart; come, O thou blest hope of glory, never, O never depart.” This seems to be asking, “Please let my hope be fulfilled and never let me lose that hope.”

When we are struggling with temptations, trials, difficulties, and loss, hope is elusive and hard to find. This song urges us to persist and trust that this hope will be realized. This is reinforced in the simple refrain: “Whispering hope, oh how welcome thy voice, making my heart in its sorrow rejoice.” While it is notable to me that there is no mention of God, Christ, or the Bible, in Esther-like fashion, it pictures hope as something tangible and trustworthy. It calls us to embrace it. Armed with the promises of Scripture, we should always be reminded to choose hope over doubt when in the midst of spiritual storms.

WHEN ANGELS GO TO WAR

Dale Pollard

“And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—“ Jude 6

The Bible indicates a battle between Satan and his rebellious followers in several key passages. The reason for this spiritual spat is not given to us in great detail, but we are told that it began after they abandoned their rightful habitation (Jude 6). While many have speculated as to what and how this happened, we simply aren’t told. Some have also made the argument that this event took place after the Creation of the world, but this is also not certain. Genesis 2:1 says, “the heavens and the earth were completed and all their hosts.” While that may seem to clearly indicate that angels must have been created alongside everything else, Job 38:7 states that angels gave “shouts of joy” after the creation of the stars.

The spiritual conflict ended with Satan and his apostate followers cast from the heavenly realm (2 Peter 2.4, Rev. 12.14, Jude) just before, it seems, the creation of earth. We’re also told that the Archangel Michael took a significant role in Satan’s defeat and expulsion. 

At one time, Satan seems to have been a high-ranking Angel who thought he stood a chance against his very Creator. That’s a ridiculous thought. The application of this historical (pre-historical?) event is evident. Nobody, whether angel or man, can win against God’s will. It’s mind boggling to imagine taking on God Almighty in some kind of battle, yet Paul tells us in Romans five that we were enemies of God at one point while living in sin and sinners are currently waging a war with God. We should let that long ago battle in the heavenly realm be a reminder to us that God always wins the war.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF SODOM

Neal Pollard

Sodom is mentioned 48 times in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. What took place there when Lot was a resident was so reprehensible that God punished it by destroying that city as well as three other cities in the entire plain, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim (Deuteronomy 29:23). While there seems to have been multiple sin problems there, chief among them was sexual immorality. Lot shelters two angels in his house (Genesis 19:1-3), angels that appeared to the “the men of the city” to be “men” (Genesis 19:4-5). Moses chronicles the incident, recording the demand of the men of Sodom, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them” (Genesis 19:4, NIV). The word “sodomy” gets its name from this city and this incident. Lot labels their intent “wicked” (vs. 6) and it triggers the angels’ call for Lot and his family to leave the city before God destroyed it (vs. 12-13). So it happens (vs. 24-25). 

But that is not the end of the Bible’s remarks about this wicked city. It would become a byword for sin in subsequent generations. Consider what we read elsewhere, as Sodom either symbolizes or illustrates unrighteousness.

  • Likened to poison and bitterness (Deuteronomy 32:32).
  • Likened to total desolation (Isaiah 1:7,9; Romans 9:29).
  • Illustrates shameless sin and evil (Isaiah 3:9). 
  • Serves as illustration of the total overthrow of Babylon (Isaiah 13:19).
  • Symbolizes unrepentant sexual sin (Jeremiah 23:14).
  • Illustrates total destruction (Jeremiah 40:18; 50:40).
  • Judah’s sudden conquering by Babylon is likened to how Sodom “was overthrown in a moment” (Lamentations 4:6).
  • Serves as a repeated metaphor for rebellious Israel and Judah (Ezekiel 16:46-49).
  • Used to illustration the sins of arrogance, careless ease, and lack of compassion (Ezekiel 16:49-56).
  • Used to illustrate total apostasy (Amos 4:11).
  • Illustrates perpetual desolation (Zephaniah 2:9).
  • Implies their peril on Judgment Day (Matthew 10:15; cf. 11:23-24; Luke 10:12).
  • Alludes to their destruction as an illustration of ultimate judgment (Luke 17:29).
  • Used to illustrate condemnation due to ungodliness (2 Peter 2:9).
  • Identified as those who “indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh” and received eternal fire as a warning to the disobedient in Jude’s audience (Jude 7).
  • Symbolize those who engage in egregious sin (Revelation 11:8).

Was what the men of Sodom guilty of more horrific and appalling than those who engaged in other spiritual rebellion or even other sexual sins? Not at all. However, one has to do an extraordinary amount of spiritual gymnastics to avoid the conclusion that what happened in Sodom displeased God. God’s response harmonizes with all His Word has to say on the subject of homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). 

God’s message for anyone and everyone struggling with sin is that grace is available (Titus 2:11). God desires to forgive and save (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). At the same time, grace is not a cover for unrepentant sin (Romans 6:1-2; Jude 4). Reconciliation comes when one turns away from sin and turns to God (Colossians 1:19-23). It’s what God hoped for Sodom (Genesis 18:20-33), but Sodom did not want this for themselves. The inhabitants of this ancient city serve as a warning to us that rebellion against God’s will not end well those who chose to engage in it. It is a timeless, if ancient, principle. 

A PROVEN RECIPE FOR PEACE

Gary Pollard

Peace conjures a number of different images in our minds; from hippies to nature’s beauty to inner calm to lack of anxiety. Nearly every group of people in the world craves peace – no rational human being wants to live in constant upheaval. We all want to have peace, but our world somehow is still getting worse and worse. Why is this? The prince of this world is not a being who desires peace (II Corinthians 4.4; Ephesians 2.2; John 12.31). His very existence is dedicated to bringing down anyone who believes in God (I Peter 5:8) and he has no care or concern for the fate or well-being of anyone on this earth. Total, lasting world peace will never be possible as long as time continues (see Romans 8.18-25: sin caused the earth to be subjected to futility). 

Total, lasting world peace may not be possible in this life, but this does not mean the world cannot experience any peace at all. How can we experience peace in our lives? 

Firstly, it has to come from us. The world will never act in a way that brings peace. Anytime the world wishes to better its conditions, it incites civil unrest, riots, protests, and other not-very-peaceful behaviors. Christians, however, are called to be different. I Timothy 2.1ff tells us that praying to God on behalf of all men, for kings, and all who are in authority will allow us to lead quiet and tranquil lives in all godliness and dignity. We can have peace by being obedient to government authorities – even if we do not agree with them politically – because God put them in place (Romans 13). If we want peace, we have to show that peace by how we live. Since man is naturally attracted to peace, our quiet, godly lives will draw others to Christ. 

Secondly, even if our world is in chaos we can have inner peace. Philippians was written to break up a nasty fight between Euodia and Syntyche. To have the “peace beyond what we can understand,” they had to rejoice in the Lord, be reasonable, not be anxious, and reach out to God for their every need. The same applies to us today! Do we get our joy from God or from worldly pursuits? Are we worried about meeting personal needs or do we rely on God (see Phil. 4.19; Matt. 6.25)? Do we try to fix our own problems, relying on our own strength, or do we place them in God’s hands and work with His guidance and providence? The Christian life is not easy, nor is it always peaceful, but the inner peace that a faithful Christian experiences, knowing that their name is in the book of life and that nothing in this short life can disrupt God’s love for them, makes every struggle in this life worth the pain. 

If we want peace, we have to be that peace. We have to live peaceful lives. We have to submit to governing authorities (as long as it is within the parameters of godliness). We have to be unified as a church. We have to look to God for all of our needs. We have to trust that He will take care of us, even if that isn’t in this life. If we can do these things, we will have peace.

Pointless Baggage

Dale Pollard

On Paul’s third missionary journey he would write to a congregation in Rome. Today this letter is viewed as sone of the most theologically deep books in our New Testament. Some think that there are portions of Scripture that are best left alone, or that only a preacher or Bible teacher can decipher the “code.” When we do some digging into the original audience that Paul was writing to, we see something interesting. He was delivering these deep theological concepts to a church that seemed to be largely lacking in spiritual knowledge. In fact, some of the members of this 1st-century church believed that God was glorified through their sins! Clearly they had some growing to do. Paul didn’t say they needed to stick with simple Christian concepts or the basics; he still tries to teach them the difficult and more complicated aspects of Christianity.

This is a call for us to challenge ourselves in our daily studies. The Bible was meant to be understood, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t take some effort on our part. The book of Romans is a rewarding book to study. In fact, it’s difficult to find another book that can give the Christian more joy and confidence in their salvation. In Romans 8:1, Paul writes, “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” At first glance this may just be a verse that many skim past because of how familiar we are with it. When we study the application of such a simple verse, in context, the benefits are incredible.

There’s no need to agonize over our relationship with Christ, if we’re in Christ. Paul simplifies our salvation by telling us that if we have obeyed the gospel and we’re striving to follow Jesus, we don’t have to live in fear of our standing before God. In fact, this phrase, “in Christ,” appears 172 times in the New Testament, but it’s a phrase that is largely misunderstood. Some Christians believe that through the course of their week they bounce from “saved” to “lost” on a daily basis. The idea of being “in” Christ is really describing a spiritual union— much like marriage! You don’t wake up everyday and ask your spouse,  “Are we still married?” and then worry throughout the day that despite your spouse’s confirmation, you’re just not convinced that you’re really married to them. If we haven’t done anything to separate that union with Christ, we can live confidently knowing we are saved.

What a wonderful feeling. The book of Romans is one that helps us to let of any pointless baggage and live a life of peace and joy. 

The Liar Everyone Believes and the Savior Everyone Doubts

Brent Pollard

Two men stand in the background of a single verse. One wrote a proverb about liars. The other rose from the dead. Guess which one the world finds easier to believe.

The Apostle Paul quotes a man often regarded as semi-mythical, believed to have lived roughly 650 years before Paul’s letter to Titus. In Titus 1.12-13, Paul mentions that this man, Epimenides, gave a truthful statement when he said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons” (NASB95). The irony is that, although considered semi-legendary, most people accept Epimenides’ existence without question. In contrast, the historical Jesus of Nazareth, whom Paul urged Titus to teach about faithfully, is often doubted despite the wealth of textual evidence supporting His existence.

Why? The reason for this is likely the difference in the moral implications of Epimenides’ and Jesus Christ’s existence. The former makes no spiritual demands of the one accepting his existence. The latter, of course, purports to be the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. In other words, the reality of Jesus has a far greater impact on the life of the individual than the reality of Epimenides.

Historical Evidence for Jesus Is Not the Real Obstacle

No scholar loses sleep over Epimenides. He costs nothing. A Cretan poet who called his own countrymen liars demands neither repentance nor worship; he asks only for a footnote. Jesus asks for everything. Paul understood this. Standing before Agrippa, he could insist that “this has not been done in a corner” (Acts 26.26). Luke opened his Gospel by anchoring the story to named emperors, governors, and a census (Luke 2.1-2; 3.1), because he wrote for a man who wanted certainty, not myth. Why, then, does a person weigh the same kind of evidence, accept the poet, and refuse the Lord? Jesus told us. “Men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (John 3.19). Unbelief rarely arrives as an intellectual conclusion. It usually arrives as a moral preference wearing a scholar’s gown.

Cost of Believing in Christ

Consider the mechanics of the heart. Admit Epimenides existed, and you may go on eating, sleeping, and sinning exactly as before. Admit that Jesus existed—truly existed, did what the Gospels record, rose as the apostles swore He did—and the floor tilts. Every appetite must answer to Him. Every ambition must kneel. Peter’s hearers felt that tilt on Pentecost when the word “pierced” them, and they cried, “Brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2.37). Note the sequence: the fact came first, then the demand. Peter offered no philosophy to admire; he preached a Lord to obey, and three thousand submitted to baptism that day (Acts 2.38, 41). Belief that costs nothing changes nothing. James reminds us that even the demons believe and shudder (James 2.19). The demons hold better theology than the skeptic and worse obedience than a child.

Why the Demands of Jesus Are Good News

Here, the Cretan proverb turns a corner. Paul agreed with Epimenides: the Cretans lied and gorged themselves. Then he told Titus to reprove them “so that they may be sound in the faith” (Titus 1.13). Diagnosis served as a cure. The demands of Christ do not tax the reluctant; they trace the shape of the life He died to give. “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2.11-12). Grace instructs. Grace does not merely excuse the glutton; it feeds him on something better until the old husks lose their savor. The man who fears Jesus’ claims has the matter backward. He guards his little kingdom of appetites as though God came to rob him, when God came to enlarge him. Every demand of Christ invites us into a joy the Cretan never tasted: “In Your presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16.11).

Faithful Christian Living Begins with Honest Belief

So examine what you actually believe. Not what you affirm on a Sunday morning, but what governs you when you’re not assembled with the church. If Jesus remains a historical curiosity to you, you have received Him as the world receives Epimenides: acknowledged, cataloged, ignored. If He is the risen Son of God, then Paul’s charge to Titus becomes your charge: teach sound doctrine, adorn it with sound living (Titus 2.1, 10), and let no appetite call itself master. The evidence was never the problem. The throne was the problem. Surrender the throne, and the gluttons of Crete—and of your own heart—become “a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2.14). Believe Him. Then obey Him. The world may keep its comfortable poets. We will keep our costly Christ.

The Judgment Day

Gary Pollard

Today’s reading come from Nahum 1: 

This book is the vision of Nahum from Elkosh. This is the sad message about the city of Nineveh. The LORD is a jealous God. The LORD punishes the guilty,

and he is very angry. The LORD punishes his enemies, and he stays angry with them. The LORD is patient, but he is also very powerful! The LORD will punish the guilty; he will not let them go free. He will use whirlwinds and storms to show his power.

People walk on the dusty ground, but he walks on the clouds. He will speak harshly to the sea, and it will become dry. He will dry up all the rivers. The rich lands of Bashan and Carmel become dry and dead. The flowers in Lebanon fade away. The Lord will come, and the mountains will shake and the hills will melt away. He will come, and the earth will shake with fear. The earth and everyone on it will shake with fear. No one can stand against his great anger. No one can endure his terrible anger. His anger will burn like fire. The rocks will shatter when he comes. 

The LORD is good. He is a safe place to go to in times of trouble. He takes care of those who trust him. But he will completely destroy his enemies. He will wash them away like a flood and chase them into the darkness. Why are you making plans against the LORD? He will bring complete destruction, so you will not cause trouble again. You will be destroyed completely like thornbushes burning under a pot. You will be destroyed like dry weeds that burn quickly. Someone from Nineveh is making evil plans against the LORD. That advisor is a worthless troublemaker.

This is what the LORD said: “The people of Assyria are at full strength. They have many soldiers, but they will all be cut down. They will all be finished. My people, I made you suffer, but I will make you suffer no more. Now I will set you free from the power of Assyria. I will take the yoke off your neck and tear away the chains holding you.” King of Assyria, the LORD gave this command about you: “You will not have any descendants to wear your name. I will destroy your carved idols and metal statues that are in the temple of your gods. I am preparing your grave, because your end is coming soon!” 

Judah, look! There, coming over the mountains, is a messenger bringing good news!

He says there is peace. Judah, celebrate your special festivals and do what you promised. Those worthless troublemakers will not come through and attack you again.They have all been destroyed.

Ephraim’s Man-Eating Forest

Dale Pollard

“The forest devoured more people that day than the sword” (2 Samuel 18.8).

David’s son, Absalom, rebelled. He’s amassed an army and David’s been on the run. Finally, it all comes to a head and the battle spread over the face of all the country. In total, twenty thousand of Absalom’s followers are killed—but the bulk of the casualties fell in the forest of Ephraim. Wait, no, they didn’t fall. The text says that they were devoured.

Is it possible that thousands of men were eaten by trees?

Some of the oldest legends of man-eating trees come from Central and South America. According to local legends, the tree would lie perfectly still until an unsuspecting person walked over its roots. The tendrils would snap upward, wrap around the victim, and squeeze them to death. The tree’s leaves were said to be lined with sharp, tooth-like spines that pierced the skin to drain the victim’s blood

Similarly, British explorers returning from central Africa told tales of giant trees that produced a super-adhesive sap that coated their low-hanging branches. If a human brushed against the branch, they became completely glued to it. They would become helplessly stuck, and the tree would eventually absorb them.

The Greeks and Romans had several myths of trees being cut, bleeding real human blood, and screaming in agony. Specifically, the association of ancient oaks and terebinths with human sacrifice is deeply documented. The premier Roman historian Tacitus wrote extensively in the 1st century AD about how the Germanic tribes viewed some of these oak groves. In his work Germania, he describes the Semnones tribe, who spoke of a forest that nobody could enter unless bound with chains.

“At a stated period, all the tribes of the same blood gather by their delegations in a wood consecrated by the auguries of their forefathers and by ancient awe. There they publicly sacrifice a human being, celebrating the horrific opening of their barbarous worship” (Tacitus, Germania, Chapter 39).

Lucan describes a sacred grove near Massilia that Julius Caesar ordered his men to chop down. The Romans were paralyzed with fear because of the rumors of human blood feeding the ancient oaks

“There was a grove which from earliest times had never been violated… No woodland nymphs or Pan resided here, instead there were savage rites and barbarous worship, massive upright stones used as horrible altars; every tree was made sacred with human blood… Crude effigies of gods fashioned from fallen trunks were all around” (Lucan, Pharsalia, Book III, line 399ff).

Josephus records that the tree that Abraham met the three angels by (Gen. 18.1-2) was a terebinth that had stood there since the creation of the world. He noted that locals venerated it. The exact location of this encounter was identified as Ramat El-Khalil, just north of modern-day Hebron. For thousands of years, a single massive tree stood at this site drawing millions of pilgrims. Well, then came Constantine.

By the Roman era, Jews, Christians, and Pagans were all holding joint festivals at the tree, offering sacrifices, and pouring drinks down Abraham’s well. The Emperor Constantine was disturbed by these pagan rituals that he ordered the altars destroyed and built a massive Christian Basilica directly over the roots of the tree to claim it.

None of this proves that trees ate thousands of soldiers in the forest of Ephriam, but it does prove that the concept isn’t a new one. Trees were considered dark, holy, hungry, and special for some reason or another. However, at least one tree played a part in the death of a man, though. Following the verse describing a forest devouring people we read:

“…Absalom was riding his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on” (2 Sam. 18.9).

Joab and ten others would stab him and beat him to death while he hung from the tree. 

Feeling “God-Like” In Your Gut

Neal Pollard

There is a noun in the New Testament that means to show kindness, mercy, or concern for someone in serious need. It is typically translated “compassion” (cf. Matthew 9:13; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 4:16). But, there is a verb translated “to feel compassion for, have pity on, and have one’s heart go out to someone” (Swanson, np). John Frederick adds, “This verb is similar to what is expressed in modern language as a feeling in one’s ‘gut’ or ‘heart’ of deep empathy for another person” (Lexham Theological Wordbook, np). The difference seems to be in intensity and depth of feeling. With but one exception, the word is reserved for God toward humanity and is only found in the gospels. Notice:

  • Jesus felt compassion for the distressed and dispirited (Matthew 9:36).
  • Jesus felt compassion for the sick and their loved ones (Matthew 14:14).
  • Jesus felt compassion for the hungry (Matthew 15:32; Mark 8:2).
  • God is illustrated by the master of a slave who felt compassion for a deeply indebted man (Matthew 18:27).
  • Jesus felt compassion for the blind (Matthew 20:34).
  • Jesus felt compassion for those in need of leading and guiding (Mark 6:34).
  • Jesus felt compassion for the distraught (Mark 9:22).
  • Jesus felt compassion for the grieving (Luke 7:13).
  • God is illustrated by the prodigal’s father who felt compassion for the penitent (Luke 15:20).

Here’s a remarkable truth. Every one of us knows people in those circumstances–discouraged, suffering with illness or medical conditions, in material need, not sure what to do, in emotional pain, grieving, or struggling with sin. Who does God expect to feel for these people? How does He want us to show it?

Consider the lone exception mentioned earlier, the passage not referring to God but to man. It’s very familiar to us, found in one of Jesus’ parables. He says, “But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion…” (Luke 10:33). Keep reading and you will see that his deep, intense feelings led him to address the needs of the man (34-37).

Think about all the people you know right now who are in need of a Good Samaritan. Who needs a meal, a visit, some help, your time, your comforting, or just your listening ear? Both those in and out of a right relationship with Christ are longing for someone to feel deeply for them and be moved to help them. Yes, it will be inconvenient and even costly, but in doing what needs done you will be imitating God as closely as anything you’ll ever do.