Ethics and Morality

The Rock! His work is perfect,
For all His ways are just;
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and just is He.
Deuteronomy 32:4 NASB

Back in college I took an ethics class. We discussed different methods and philosophies for determining whether an action is right or wrong. We discussed theories from Immanuel Kant, René Descartes, and Friedrich Nietzsche—but no religious philosphers, regardless of religion.

One topic of conversation was on if the end justifies the means. An example that came up in class was World War II; many of my classmates eagerly suggested that stopping Hitler (end) justified the war (means). That conversation got murkier when it was revealed that one classmate was a descendant of Holocaust survivors and another was a descendant of Hiroshima survivors. Don't worry, this post isn't about the politics of World Wars, I only bring it up to illustrate how perspective and experience made the conversation more difficult.

Another conversation required us to choose our action in a given scenario, where the scenario became increasingly more personal. Let's say there is train track that splits. There are five people standing on the right track and a single person on the left. You are standing too far away to signal to anyone, but you are able switch the track. Do you guide the train to the right or to the left? What if there's an equal number of people on each track? What if the 5 people are criminals? What if the one person is a family member? What if the 5 are the people who bullied you in high school? And so on, the discussion continued.

I enjoyed the class, as it forced me to analyze the larger picture of how I decided what was morally right in a given situation. However, there was one question that never came up...

If scientists are right, and all life is a happy coincidence, what really is ethics?

Human beings are the only species on the planet that concerns itself with the concept of morality. On my family's farm, we've had to separate chickens because they were fighting each other—the chickens don't have a "police chicken" that steps in to break up the fight, nor do they have "judicial chickens" who deliberate whether one of the chickens should be tried for assault. Similarly, my cat shows no remorse when some unfortunate bug finds its way on the screen porch and she kills it mercilessly despite having all the food she could eat inside the house. Buzzards eat roadkill, they don't stop to wonder how or why the animal died. Squirrels steal fruit from our fruit trees and don't concern themselves with whether another animal had lain claim to the tree. So, why is it that human beings—thiest or athiest—have any sense of right or wrong?

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:17 NASB

Poetic Justice in the Bible

Poetic justice is the thing we all love to see, let's discover why its so satisfying and how it's used in the Word of God

Poetic justice is "an outcome in which vice is punished and virtue rewarded usually in a manner peculiarly or ironically appropriate."[1] Essentially poetic justice is what someone gets what they deserve. We love to see this because it's the neat ending we alway want to see: we want to see the good guy lifted up and the bad guy punished. The first secular example that came to my mind while I was studying this topic was Ever After, a realistic version of Cinderella. In Ever After, the stepmother forces Cinderella into servant hood and mistreats her, but in the end Cinderella is married to the prince and the stepmother is forced to become a servant.

Biblical Examples

Jacob & Esau	Jacob tricks Isaac into giving him Esau's blessing; Laban tricks Jacob into 14 years of work and marrying the wrong daughter
Death of the Firstborns	Pharaoh has Israelite children killed; God punishes Egypt by killing the firstborns in the final plague
Esther	Haman tries to get Mordecai and the Jews killed; Mordecai is exalted and Haman is killed
The Whole Bible	The whole purpose of the Bible is the concept of the righteous gaining paradise and the serpent who took it from us being cast out forever

References

1. "Poetic Justice". Merriam Webster Dictionary; visited May 2022

Feminism & Religion (Pt. 1)

There are so many conotations of the term "feminism" that its rare to find people on the same page. Because of that, we're going to dive into the definition and history of feminism a little before we actually start talking about how it relates to religion.

¹¹However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹²For as the woman originated from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. 1 Corinthians 11:11-12 NASB

I've actually heard a lot of Christian men (and women!) bashing feminism, and generally if they open up about what they're complaining about it's usually a subset of feminism or their perception of what feminism is. So before we start talking about how religion views women, I thought we should spend some time talking about feminism. In this episode we'll briefly touch on the history of women and some ideas that sprang up in the various feminist movements. This is by no means an exhaustive coverage of feminism or the nuances within feminism. This is simply a pre-conversation to get us on the same page for the next.

Official Definition

definition

Feminism [2]

noun

: belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests

First Wave

• Generally known as "Women's Suffrage"
• The first women's rights conference was held in 1848
• The conference was mostly organized by Quakers, in fact one woman was a Quaker preacher
• Focused on the right to vote, equality in education
• In England, the Matrimonial Causes Act (passed in 1878), is what gave women the right to leave abusive husbands[6]
• It wasn't until 1920 that all US states considered it illegal for a husband to beat his wife[4]
• Rape within a marriage didn't become illegal until 1993 (even though I talked about it mostly during the beginning)[5]

Second Wave

• Equality in employment opportunities
• Stronger emergence of pushback against "white feminism" (though there were women from other races fighting early own, their voices were often supressed)
• Considered the begining of Global Feminism
• Begining of the sexual revolution

Third Wave

• Focus on body positivity, media portrayals of women, double standards
• Beginning to recognize intersectionality; attempts to be more inclusive
• Popularization of reclaiming symbols/words previously seen as sexist
• Continuation of sexual liberation
• Tackling harassment (particularly at work) and the #MeToo movement (possible 4th Wave)

References

1. Elinor Burkett and Laura Burell. "Feminism". Encyclopedia Britannica. March 24, 2021
2. "Feminism". Merriam Webster; visited July 2021
3. "Women in Computer Science: Getting Involved in STEM". ComputerScience.org. May 5, 2021
4. Cheryl Hanna. "Domestic Violence". Encyclopedia. May 29, 2018
5. "This Woman Fought To End Minnesota's 'Marital Rape' Exception, And Won". NPR. May 4, 2019
6. Matrimonial Causes Act of 1878, via Irish Statute Book
7. "Women in Computer Science: Getting Involved in STEM". ComputerScience.org. May 5, 2021

Let's Talk About Zionism...

What does the Bible actually say about Zionism? How can we as Christians stand by and watch inhumane treatment of other humans and not be bothered? That is NOT what God called us to do.

A few years ago, I was visiting one of my aunts, and something must have recently made the news about the on-going Israeli-Palestinian conflict because somehow we ended up talking about Zionism. This particular aunt is a devout member of the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) church and like most women in my family, she's not afraid to voice her opinion. At one point in the in the conversation, she made an assertion that many Christians make—an assertion that despite claims of separation of church and state, is at the heart of why the United States often sides with Israel. An assertion that is wrong.

"But it's [Israel's] land. God gave them that land."

The belief in and support of a Jewish nation is often referred to Zionism[1] and it runs deep in the Christian church. It's the only conclusion you'd make if your Christian experience is limited to the sermons you get from the pastor, and it's the easiest conclusion to make with a shallow dive into the Bible itself. I see exactly why people are led to that conclusion: Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and while they were in the wilderness, God promised them a land flowing with milk and honey. God promised to make Israel a great nation, and a great nation has land, right?

The above train of thought leaves out crucial parts of the narrative and with the recent attacks on Palestine by Israel, it's time we straighten this story out.

Disclaimer

Please understand that this post is discussing the actions of the Israeli government. When speaking about curses I am referencing the nation as a government entity and in a broad sense. While this post is criticizing Zionism it is not a statement against Jewish independence—it is a statement against using Zionism to justify the mistreatment of Palestinans. Also, I have tried to differentiate when I'm talking about Israel of the past verus present by refering to Israelites (past) and Israelis (present).

Is Israel *Still* the Promised Land?

During Israel's time in the wilderness, God promises Israel a lot of things but these promises are not absolute. While there are a few instances that repeat this concept, we're going to focus on Deuteronomy 27-28. In this passage, Moses lays out not one, but two paths for Israel. The first leads to blessings from God (Deuteronomy 28:1-14); if they chose that path they would be prosperous, healthy, and at peace. The second path, however, leads to curses (Deuteronomy 28:15-26). When choosing this path, the Israelites would reap hardship, illnesses, and defeat.

¹“Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I am commanding you today, that the Lord your God will put you high above all the nations of the earth. ²And all these blessings will come to you and reach you if you obey the Lord your God: Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NASB

In Deuteronomy 28:1-2, we see plainly what the path to the blessings is: obedience. Notice that the blessings come to Isreal IF they obey the Lord. So, did Israel obey God and follow the path to the blessings? No! From before Moses could even return from the mountain, the Israelites struggled with obedience. It is due to Israel serving other gods that they go into captivity... The Northern Kingdom (Israel) went through a line of rulers who led the people astray from God, which ends with them being taken away by the Assyrians. In the Southern Kingdom (Judea), they ping pong between righteous and corrupt kings, but ultimately they, too, drift away from God. The prophet Jeremiah tells us this is why they were subjected to the Babylonian captivity.

And I will pronounce My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, since they have abandoned Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. Jeremiah 1:16 NASB

The Israelites in Babylon were eventually returned to the land, but continued to wax and wane in their relationship with God. There would be a Greek captivity followed by the Roman occupation of Israel. It is during the Roman occupation of Israel that we see the birth of the Messiah. The birth of the Messiah occurs during the 70 weeks prophecy given by the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27). It is during this time that the Israelites are supposed to be turning back to God. This is their final chance as a nation to turn back to their King.

Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the wrongdoing, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.Daniel 9:24 NASB

Did the Israelites bring about everlasting righteousness and anoint the Most Holy Place? No, they rejected the Messiah and had Him executed despite His innocence. The Israelites chose a known criminal over an innocent man. Roughly a generation later, Jerusalem was seiged by the Roman empire, the Temple was destoryed and Israel lost their Promised Land. God does not promise to restore the nation of Israel (as a bloodline) after the 70 weeks.

Pastor Ivor Myers has a wonderful sermon series that explains this exact issue.[2] In the series, he discusses the prophets of the Old Testament and teaches us how to put each prophet in context. The essence of the series discusses "the day of Lord" which is not actually one day (often refered to as the end of the world) but a series of judgments by God with the final day of the Lord being the one to bring about eternal peace. He clearly shows how the prophecies to restore Israel end with the rejection of Christ. When Christ rose from the dead, He built the final Temple (often mistaken as a third physical temple) made without hands. This Temple is talked about extensively in the New Testament and it is us. Just as God's Spirit dwelled in the Most Holy place of the Temple in Jerusalem, His Spirit now dwells in us. We—those who have chosen Him—are the new heirs to the throne and the new promised children. Our promised land is not Israel, though, it is the Kingdom of God. We receive this land when the final day of the Lord happens. Unforuntately the sermons are no longer free (I hate when people charge for teachings on the word of God), I'm uploading my notes to Google Drive for those curious about the Bible verses and how these conclusions were drawn.[3]

What If I'm Wrong?

Let's pretend for a second that God had promised to restore Israel after they rejected the Messiah. Deuteronomy 27:19 says "Cursed is one who distorts the justice due a stranger, an orphan, or a widow." Modern Israel has been distorting the justice due the Palestinians for years. Under the assumption the land belongs to Israel, the Palestinians would be strangers in the land, and the fact that Israel behaves unjustly toward them would trigger the curses outlined in Deuteronomy.

Another issue with the U.S. supporting Israel is that when God gives, it's obvious. An army did not free the Israelites from Egyptian captivity. The Israelites did not receive external support when they took the land after leaving Egypt. Although the Persian army conquered Babylon and subsequently allowed Jerusalem to be restored (drawing parallels to the defeat of Germany and allowance of the establishment of modern Israel by the west), the Persian army did not fight battles for Israel. If God was restoring Israel, His people would be able to take the land without the assistance of foreign troops and it would look like the land of the blessings in the beginning of Deuteronomy 28. The most obvious sign God is not giving them the land is that this isn't the case. The first thing the Israelites did when Cyrus allowed them back in the Promised Land was to restore Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. Modern Israel was established in the 1960s—is there a third Temple? No, because there's a mosque there. There's a mosque there because the Israeli government did not capture Jerusalem in the Six Days War. It's there because God did NOT give them the city of Jerusalem. Trust me, if God wants someone to have something, they'll have it without the U.S. funding it...

The Importance of All This

I do not speak as much about issues that affect ofther minorities on this blog mainly because I'm not always sure of the details and it's better to amplify than to steal the spotlight. However, I had to write something on this issue because as I type, Israel is committing countless atrocities against the people of Palestine[5] and "Christians" are turning a blind eye because they don't understand their own Bible. You cannot support Zionism at the expense of Palestinians and adhere to the tenants God set for us at the same time. The same passion and zeal evangelical Christians put into being pro-life needs to be manifested into being pro-Palestinian-life. From here is where I point you to Palestinian voices. Go read their stories. Go feel their hurt. A friend of mine, who brought the recent atrocities to my attention, has created a letter in support of HR 2590, a bill that would promote and protect the rights of Palestinians. Please research what the Bible actually says, what is happening in Palestine, and what this bill could accomplish, then sign her letter to show your sentators and representatives that you support justice.[4]

References

1. "Zionism". Merriam-Webster; visited May 2021
2. Ivor Myers. "The 3 Heavens Principle". Power of the Lamb Ministries. February 1, 2021
3. My notes on The 3 Heavens Principle
4. Sign the Letter
5. Bill Chappell. "Israel In Turmoil: Violence Spreads To Streets And Occupied West Bank". NPR. May 13, 2021

Why I Miss the Segregated Church

Sometimes God has a message for the 1 and we're the 99 that's left behind.

As children we are taught to be tolerant and inclusive. It is in our very nature (well, for most of us at least) to reject the idea of being exclusionary. Yet, not quite a year ago, I found myself deeply missing the segregated churches I grew up in. I missed Negro Spirituals and Black History programs. I missed how black pastors related the trials of the Israelites to the trials of black people today. I missed the fact that the people at city hall fighting for justice where the same people sitting in the congregation. I missed the unity that comes from shedding some aspects of diversity.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

The Straw That Broke The Camel's Back

Last May, after the death of Ahmaud Arbery, Breona Taylor, and George Floyd, mayhem insued. I don't mean the riots. I mean the conversations between members of "the church." We were 2 months in to COVID, and where the church was already struggling to maintain meaningful communication, the fracture of race and culture became truly apparent. It felt like every day some non-black church member was saying something insensitive. Leadership was quiet and when those of us with a short fuse (like myself) chose to speak, we were repremainded. The ire I felt culminated with me blurting out that I no longer wanted to attend a multicultural church and removing myself from all church communication.

I thought I was reacting in the moment. I thought a month would pass, and the feeling along with it. I thought I didn't really mean it...

Months passed, and to my surprise, I ended up in a few more heated conversations. I didn't feel any different, and realized I actually do miss attending an all African-American church.

The History of Racism and the Church

The western church (re: Catholicism and it's offspring, known as Protestantism) is responsible for racism. Europeans twisted the curse of Canaan into a non-existant curse on Ham and attempted to legitimize the mistreatment of Africans based on this fradulent interpretation. From there, we saw "devout" Christians torture, maime, brand, rape, and otherwise dehumanize black people. From Europeans whitewashing the people discussed in the Bible during the renissance, to white Americans refusing to let blacks worship in the same spaces, to the KKK, racism and Christianity in America are almost synonymous. I did a three part series going over some of this history along with my personal experiences last year. I'm linking them below instead of repeating myself.

Previous Blogs on Racism in the Church

• A Personal History of Racism in Church
• Healing the Wounds
• Promoting a Culture of Inclusion

The Colorblind Church

Instead of admitting to the role white America has played in racism, there is a push to leave it in the past. Instead of white pastors openly admitting that the white man pictured in churches and homes accross the world is not Christ, they defend those who don't want to part with the tradition of breaking the second commandment to honor some random European man. Instead of addressing white flight, pastors ask minority congregants to make sure they invite their white friends. Instead of uttering a truth that might offend one group, we stick to sugar coated messages that don't challenge anyone. And while churches are fighting desperately to create these diverse congregations to show they are colorblind, black youth are leaving God becuase the message they need to hear is too much for the white people who put us in this position in the first place.

A Lesson In Colorblindness

I've known for a long time that homes owned by black people appraise for less than similar homes owned by whites. We're not going to derail the post by getting too deep into that (I'm sure you're already confused as to why I brought it up, just go with me for a minute). If you're curious about the validity of my statement, read up on some of the recent incidents involving the appraisal of black homes.[1][2]

I'm currently in the process of selling my house to move and for the first time, had to assess the "blackness" of my home.

There was a portrait of an African woman I painted with my friends that needed to come down, as well as a professional painting of a black Southern Belle. Of course any and all personal photographs of me or my family. Just as I'd tucked away all the photos, a book on my bookshelf caught my eye: How Long Til Black Future Month Scanning the shelves, I saw enough black literature to open a library. So I started removing the obvious ones: Is Christianity the White Man's Religion, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, The Autobiography of Malcom X, a collection of African folk tales, everything by Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, Nikki Giovanni...

As I struggled to move the heavy box to the garage, I passed my DVD collection. I stopped to remove the obviously black DVDs from the shelf: The Boondocks (season 1-3), The Babershop, First Sunday, Eve's Bayou, For Colored Girls..., Drumline, Stomp the Yard... It was too many to fit in a box. So I loaded the self back up, and stacked Disney movies in front of them. Then placed a decorative candle on the now empty Disney shelf.

I thought I could finally relax, so I went to my bathroom to take a relaxing bath. There I was greeted by my bonnet, the various oils and moisturizers for my afro-textured curly hair, the wide tooth comb and wooden-handled brush... This was obviously the bathroom of a black woman.

Every where I looked my house testified to the fact that I am black. Even after removing as much as I could, there are still things that made it into the staging (e.g., the poodles that decorate my house which are actually a reference to my sorority, which has non-black members but is a historically black sorority). In the end, I could not completely separate who I am from the space I live in without getting rid of everything.

As I stared at the house that only represented a fraction of me, I felt empty and unsettled. It no longer feels like home and wash day means I have to trek all the way to the garage to dig out my deep conditioner. As I reflected on the inconvience, I realized my life is like this house.

One of the posts above talks about my experience with racisim in the church, but it doesn't detail all my experiences with racism—we might need a book for all of that. Nonetheless, these traumas, hurts, lessons, and conversations have shaped who I am. It is from these experiences that I have the boundaries I have. It is from these experiences that I react the way I do. It is from these experiences that I value this or that. It is from these experiences that this passage hits differently than when you hear it...

When I approach the throne of YHWH, the Most High God, those expereinces come with me. YHWH was there when I watched my grandmother panic over the possibility of white men taking our family's land. YHWH was there with me when little white kids were calling me a n*****. YHWH was there with me when my Asian aunt told me she was glad her half-black daughter didn't have hair like me. YHWH was there when my white teacher said I'd end up pregnant or in jail because that's what happens to black youth. YHWH was there the Asian department chair told me I didn't have what it took to earn a PhD (and YHWH walked across the stage with me when I earned that PhD). YHWH was there when I learned to love my hair. YHWH was there when I learned not to shrink myself into a corner trying to blend into the whiteness around me. YHWH understands my blackness, my womanness, my Americanness, my singlness...

And sometimes YHWH has a message just for me.

“What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains, and go and search for the one that is lost? Matthew 18:12

Leaving the 99

A few weeks ago, I watched a sermon that spoke straight to my heart.[3][4] Seven men and women of God spoke on the last seven things Christ said before He died on the cross. Each message was tied into justice and the black experience here in America. The speakers were black, the audience was black, and the message was specifically for black people. It ranged from a reminder about forgiveness, to a warning about protecting our spirit. There were messages and nuggets of truth that anyone could (and should) appreciate, but the core of the message was a message of hope for the down troddened souls of black America. It was a reminder that YHWH is our YHWH too.

As I listened to the sermon, I realized that was what I was longing for. I wanted to hear that message that God had for me in my time of need. Contemporary churches love to sing "Reckless Love" and belt out the line about Him leaving the 99 to search for the one, but we often forget we're not always the one. In a society where certain groups of people are being mistreated, abused, and belittled, those groups are the people God is going after. He's going after the black person longing for justice. He's going after the people in the LGBT community with questions. He's going after the Asain person scared to step out of their house. He's going after the women who have been abused. He's going after the immigrants who were locked in cages. He's going after the refugees that survived brutal wars. He's going after the poor/homeless, the drug addict, the orphan, etc. And that message may hurt your feelings—it may hurt my feelings—because maybe we didn't do enough for that group, maybe we are part of the reason that group is hurt... But it's not about us, it's about the message for the one.

Finding Love in Diversity

Most of my friend circles have been characterized by diversity. Even here, in South Florida where 90% of my friend group is black, there is diversity—some are Jamacian, some Hatian, some Bahamian, and some Canadian. It is amazing to learn about different cultures and to experience the world through someone else's eyes. It is equally heartbreaking to expreince trauma in the midst of people who refuse to acknowledge the trauma (or the history of that trauma). You cannot obstruct the message for the one because the 99 aren't ready to admit the church has played a role in the suffering of the one. A year later, and I understand where that longing is coming from. I can't say what type of church I'll seek out when I move in 3 weeks, but I can say I want to belong to a body that isn't afraid to leave the 99 to go after the one.

References & Footnotes

1. Julian Glover. "Black California couple lowballed by $500K in home appraisal, believe race was a factor". ABC 7 News. February 12, 2021
2. Debra Kamin. "Black Homeowners Face Discrimination in Appraisals". The New York Times. August 25, 2020
3. Mount Sinai Church. "The Seven Words of Justice". YouTube. April 2, 2021
4. No one is perfect; we're all human. If I gave a sermon, my human-ness would creep in as well. The only reason I'm pointing out this particular nitpick is because it's about doctrinal truth and since I'm "promoting" the sermon, I need to point out what I disagree with doctrinally. Good Friday is tied to the pagan Easter. Passover was last week (March 28). Even if the Bible asked us to celebrate "Good Friday," based on Biblical doctrine, it should occur before Passover and would have been last week.

Lunchtime Childhood Trauma

This #TestimonyTuesday I wanted to share an experience I had as a child that has deeply shaped my views as a teenager and an adult. Sometimes God swoops in Himself to make a miracle happen, but sometimes, He calls on us to do the foot work. We go through experiences help us learn and to become better people, so we be ready when He calls. This testimony may not have ended with a tidy fix for the issue as a whole, but it did lead me to join the fight.

Footnotes

1. A recent example: CNN
2. Learn more about how you can help end hunger: 10 Charities That Fight Hunger

Isaiah 49-57: The Prince of Peace

Introduction

The ultimate gift God gives us is the Prince of Peace, the Messiah, Yashua/Yeshua/Jesus. Between Isaiah 49 and 57, Isaiah gives us a ton of prophecies, many of which deal with the Messiah. The most important prophecy concerning who Christ was (in my opinion) is Isaiah 53. Often referred to as "The Suffering Servant," the chapter gives a clear picture of the Messiah as a servant who must suffer at the hands of His own people to bring about salvation. This was the crucial prophecy that the Israelites neglected, as they expected the Messiah to be a triumphant warrior who would overthrow Rome instead of the servant described by Isaiah. Overall, however, these chapters paint the picture of the salvation brought by the Prince of Peace.

Calls to the People

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Pavan Trikutam

The first three chapters in this series deliver specific calls to God's people.

Called From the Womb

Isaiah recognizes that his calling came from the time he was in the womb. In fact, most of God's people were called before they took their first breath. Other examples include Samson and Samuel from the Old Testament, Jesus and John the Baptist from the New Testament. Isaiah explicitly states that his purpose is to call the people of God back to God. God tells Isaiah that this is a simple task, so He is also entrusting him with being a light for the Gentiles. Even during Isaiah's time, Israel was to be a light for the Gentile nations; it was never God's intent that they should stay in darkness. We know that the ultimate light that Israel brought into the world was the Messiah. How does that relate to Isaiah being called as a light to the Gentile nations? Well, someone compiled a list of 365 Messianic prophecies[1] (there are more, but this is a good sampling) and 133 of them are from the book of Isaiah. That's about 36%. The book in the Old Testament with the next largest number of Messianic prophecies is Psalms with 96. So while Jesus might be the ultimate Light God gave to the Gentiles, it is Isaiah that gives us the path to identify the light (the light switch, if you will).

Prophecies About Christ

In Isaiah 49:7, Isaiah jumps right in to Messianic prophecy as if to confirm that he has been given light to point us to the ultimate Light. First, he tells us that the Holy One of Israel (the Messiah), will be despised by men. If Christ's crucifixion does jump into mind as clear evidence of that, just scour message boards online today. There are many atheists or agnostics, who while tolerant of other religions, have a deep-seated hatred for Christ.

Isaiah goes on to tell us that Christ will be worshiped by kings and princes. Even the most powerful people in our world have to answer to Christ. In Christ's kingdom, everyone will come to bow down to Him and all will be provided for. As Isaiah explains this, he mentions a land called Sinim, which scholars believe is meant to reference a far off nation, likely China.[2]

As Isaiah continues to point out how God (and the Messiah) feel about the people, he lays out a third prophecy. God promises no to forget about His children, and points out that He has a mark in the palm of His hands to remind Him of us. That mark is from the crucifixion.[3]

Prophecy About Israel

Isaiah also prophesies the captivity and scattering of Israel. The people of Israel were driven from The Promised Land after the siege of Jerusalem in 70ad and have been intermingled with the Gentiles ever since. However, in the end the people who were tearing apart the families of God's people and who were mistreating them, will be bowing before them.

Called to Follow

In the beginning of Isaiah 50, we are presented with metaphorical questions about our relationship with God as our Father. God did not abandon His children, His children stopped following Him. When there is separation between us and Him, it is not because He "divorced our mother" or sold us, but be cause we have chosen sin over obedience.

The beauty in this situation is that God is the all powerful God. He can redeem us and reconect with us if we let Him. His choice is to deliver us from a fate of separation and disconnect, but we have to let Him. Throughout the Bible, it talks about people who have ears but can't hear, or eyes and can't see. We close our senses to God, and block His Spirit sometimes. When Isaiah chose to listen to God, God opened His hear that He might understand. When we choose to listen and see, God reveals Himself, wisdom, and His plan to us. The key, is that we have to choose to follow Him first.

Called to Action

If you make a decision, but you never act on it, what good is it? God gave us a law. If we are truly following Him, if we have truly surrendered to His Will, we will also do our best to follow this law. The Israelites often confused this concept by thinking that if the just did what God had specified in the law, they were doing good. However, just because you do what someone says doesn't mean you love or respect them. Obedience can also come from fear or habit. The key thing to remember is that we are compelled to follow the law because we love God, however following the law is not a means of salvation and is not the starting point of our relationship with Him.

Fear

Many times, when we are doing right, the people around us will try to discourage us. In a moment of peer pressure, we often deny Christ and the Father to appease a human. Peter did this when He denied Christ. God asks us think about why we afraid of people? They do not have power over their own lives and die just like us. Therefore their thoughts and opinions should have no power over us.

Endtime Prophecy

In Isaiah 51:6, Isaiah prophesies that Heaven and Earth will be demolished and rebuilt during the final judgment. During this time, all who did not follow the Lord will perish. This prophecy is echoed in the New Testament (2 Peter 3:10-13 and Revelation 21:1).

Awakening

God makes a plea for Israel to wake up. It is time for them to return to our Father, to open our ears and heart. The devision to follow should always be followed with the action of following. This consists of opening our hears and eyes, just as Isaiah did. If we don't, we suffer the same fate as the pagan nations.

The Suffering Servant

If you weren't sure that Jesus is the Messiah, Isaiah 53 is the scripture you need to read. I have read that this chapter is intentionally glossed over or "forbidden" in Jewish synagogues for exactly this reason.[4]

Isaiah prophesies about a suffering servant, the prophecy really begins at the end of Isaiah 52, where we are told that this person would become disfigured for us. The disfiguring Isaiah references is the punishment Jesus endured before and on the cross. As we continue into Isaiah 53, we learn that despite suffering for us, people would reject him (obviously fulfilled both by the Jews rejecting Him and choosing to crucify Him, as well as the continued rejection of His gift by people throughout time). Isaiah tells us that the Messiah would be brought to "slaughter like a lamb" indicating that he understood that the purpose of this sacrifice was to fulfill the required sacrifices once and for all. Take note that while God is pleased with the suffering of the Messiah, it is not because He enjoys seeing the Messiah suffer. God is pleased because this suffering allows Him to intercede for all of God's children. It is only though His suffering that the rest of us can ever be reunited with God. It is also through Him that Satan will eventually be defeated. This is what pleases God.

The Deception

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good,Isaiah 55:2 KJV

The business model of the world matches the battle plan of Satan: create a problem that doesn't exist and sell the solution. If you were around in the early 2000s, you remember black and white flip phones that barely had the ability to text. Of course, if you grew up during my parent's era, you remember when we didn't have cell phones at all. If you grew up in my grandparents' era, you remember when phones were a luxury. If you grew up before then, you would remember when phoned didn't exist. For the majority of our existence, people lived just fine without them. Now, kids are getting them at 5 and 6 years old! People have been convinced that a child needs a $400 - $1000 object. How? Why?

In the beginning of Isaiah 55, it is point out that we chase things that don't benefit us. We spend money on things that are not in our best interest, and work hard for things the world tells us we need, but they don't fill the empty void that is meant to be filled with God. We will work extra hours to have extra money to see the latest concert or movie, to buy the latest trends, etc., but we don't invest that money in God's people— remember the bread is His body; God's body is the Church (1 Corinthians 12:12–14) and we aren't investing in the people of the church. I don't mean building funds and jet planes for pastors. I mean supporting single parents. I mean supporting the poor. I mean taking care of the elderly. Consume the Bread of Life (the Word of God) and actively engaging in the work of God is what will satisfy our soul. The things of this world only bring us distraction. They keep us busy, but we never find that contentment that God has for us.

A Futile Effort

Isaiah 55 follows the famous quote "no weapon formed against you shall prosper." Even though it's the last verse of Isaiah 54, it summarizes the whole of both chapters' point. God has made a covenant with His people so for as long as we have (be it our death or the death of this world), we can seek Him out. However, we see in God's call to seek Him while He can be found that this timeline is finite; there will come a point where we've lost our chance (because we're dead, or the judgement has arrived). Once we seek Him out, we're on the winning side. God will stand for His people, and He is the creator of even the smallest molecules men use to build weapons. There is nothing a man can create that does not have to obey God first. Thus, the only power our enemies have over us is convincing us not to rely on God.

God's Thoughts and Ways

The end of Isaiah 55 could easily be paired with the concept of growing from thinking and speaking like a child, to thinking and speaking as an adult. It is a reminder that although we grow up and learn more, we can't fully comprehend God. My dad has a saying about understanding crazy people; he said if you can understand the thought process of serial killers, or racists, or whomever, that means you think like them and you're crazy too. You have to be tuned in to the same frequency to understand and empathize with those feelings. Similarly, if any of us could fully comprehend God, we'd have to be God.

I used to wonder if sin was the culprit of why we can't understand. After all, sin is a degenerative disease. However, when I started thinking about the angels, I realized that they must not be able to fully comprehend God either. If so, Lucifer never would have rebelled. He would have understood the perfect order God created and abided in it. Not only that, but other angels wouldn't have sided with him. It proves that like us, they only know so much.

God's Word is Never Void: A Sign

¹¹So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
it shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
¹²For ye shall go out with joy,
and be led forth with peace:
the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
¹³Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree,
and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree:
and it shall be to the Lord for a name,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.Isaiah 55:11-13 KJV

God's Word is powerful. Unlike us, He doesn't say things casually or without thought, so everything He tells us will come to pass. This is great news for those who surrender to Him and horrible news for those who rebel.

I spent quite a while on this particular passage, trying to figure out what the everlasting sign would be. Some commentators suggest a bountiful Earth, some suggested fertility, and others suggested the actual Word of God.[8] I can see how all three of these are possible, and actually are intertwined. To have high fertility rates, the people must be eating well and consuming the proper nutrients, therefore the Earth must be bountiful. The only way for the Earth to be bountiful is that the people have found favor in the eyes of God, and that will only happen when we surrender to His Word.

Preservation of Justice

God's people will have God's desire for justice. This means that in a kingdom that truly serves Him, the people in charge will actively seek justice. They will not be taking advantage of people, or favoring this group over that group. God's people will do the best they can to wield honest, appropriate, and merciful judgements so that justice prevails.

Sabbath

In Isaiah 56:6 brings the attention of the Israelites to the importance of keeping the Sabbath without defiling it. Note that there were two types of Sabbaths prescribed by God. The original Sabbath (referred to as the Sabbath) was instituted in the very beginning, to end the creation week. After the fall and when God established Israel, He instituted holy days (where we get thee word holiday), some of which were to be observed in the same manner as the Sabbath. These became knows as sabbaths or sabbath days (plural). Because God is referred to a singular Sabbath, we know He is referencing the one from creation.

Saved Against the Odds

The Israelites, as well as modern Christians, are quick to judge who can and can't be saved, but that judgement is reserved for God. In Isaiah 56, we see God explicitly make provisions for the salvation of two groups of people you wouldn't expect: foreigners and eunuchs.

Foreigners

The Israelites are God's chosen people, everybody else (at the time) was pagan. The Israelites were constantly told to set themselves apart and not to intermarry with these people. So it's easy to develop the opinion that those people were hopeless and unable to gain salvation. However, that was never the case. From the beginning, anyone who was willing to submit to God, could join Israel and become part of God's people. In Isaiah 56, God reiterates this point. Today, we should remember that "foreigner" can apply to people of the same nationality and/or race, but of a different religion. We have to remember that all it takes it repentance and submission to God for a person to be saved, regardless of their background.

Eunuchs

Eunuchs were men who had been castrated. Since this would be considered a deformity, it was regarded as unclean in Israel; thus, eunuchs were not well received. The Israelites would have been shocked to hear this message.

I've seen many quote this verse along with Matthew 19:12 to support the LGBT community, so I want to take a deeper look.[7] Matthew 19:12 identifies 3 types of eunuchs: those who were forcefully castrated, those who were born that way, and those who chose to be.

The reason men were forcefully castrated was—aside from being a grotesque show of power—to provide "trustworthy" protection for the queen and concubines of the king.[5] The women (and children) required guards, but an able bodied solider was a threat to the king. Remember, these marriages were not based on love and most kings had many wives, so there was plenty of spare time for the wives to get distracted. Also, since DNA testing wasn't a thing back then (that we know of), the king would have felt obligated to protect the throne from illegitimate heirs. So, to ensure that soldiers tasked with keeping the women safe did not betray the king by sleeping with the women, the king had them castrated. Note, this didn't mean that the men became women and/or began living their lives as women. It also doesn't mean they were gay.

The men who were "born that way" were men who were born with out a penis; this condition is called Penile Agenesis. They still have a male physiology and are considered men, they are just unable to have sex.[6] Once again, there is no Biblical or historical evidence that these men behaved as women or engaged in homosexual relationships. (In fact, they would have had the same dilemma in trying to have a homosexual relationship as they would having a heterosexual one).

The final group of eunuchs mentioned in Matthew 19:12 are those who chose that life. These men were not born that way, nor were they forced into the predicament. Because the passage in Matthew 19:12 is talking about marriage, I don't think it's meant that the literally disfigured themselves, but rather they chose not to get married—like Paul. If anything these men would have been considered asexual.

Were there gay or transgender eunuchs? I don't know. However, the word eunuch does not mean gay or transgender.

References

1. 365 Messianic Prophecies". Bible Probe; visited May 2019
2. "Sinim, Land Of. Bible Study Tools; visited May 2019
3. "When Jesus was nailed to the cross, did the nails go through His hands or His wrists?". GotQuestions.org; visited May 2019
4. "Forbidden Chapter of the Tanakh". Jewish Voice. June 2, 2016
5. "Eunuch". Encyclopædia Britannica. February 11, 2019
6. Aeron Charline. "Penile Agenesis and Testicular Agenesis". October 25, 2011
7. Matt Slick. "In Matthew 19:12, is being born as a eunuch a support for homosexuality?". Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry; visited May 2019
8. "Isaiah 55:13". Bible Hub; visited May 2019

Book Review: Just Mercy

Just Mercy:
A Story of Justice and Redemption
by Bryan Stevenson

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson is a phenomenal book. I don't usually put much stock in books being "#1 New York Times Bestsellers," but this book truly deserves that title. I usually fly through books, and putting a book down or making slow progress usually indicates that I won't finish it because the plot or the writing just isn't drawing me in. But this book... It took me a little over a month to read. Part of the reason was because I was reading 2 other books at the same time, but really, the issue was that it's to real to read through in one sitting.

I learned my lesson when I binged watched the Kalief Browder story on Netflix,[1] and Mr. Stevenson's book is full of true stories highlighting the same faults in our criminal "justice" system. The overarching story is that of Walter McMillian who was wrongfully convicted of murder through shady practices and sentenced to death in Alabama. Mr. Stevenson, a young lawyer just beginning his career, started the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) to assist people like Mr. McMillian, and quickly became engrossed in the case. As Mr. Stevenson recounts the long, hard journey to establish true justice for Mr. McMillian, he weaves in the stories of countless other clients he was able to claim justice for. From wrongly accused men on death row to adults who had been imprisoned with life sentences as mere children, we get a glimpse at how unfair the system is to minorities and to the poor.

I had to put the book down every few pages because the injustice was so unsettling. There were times I wanted to quit reading; after all, I know our justice system is rigged. I couldn't, though. It was unsettling to read, but think how unsettling it is to live. Can you imagine knowing you're innocent but being on death row? Watching people leave, smelling their flesh burning from the electric chair knowing you'll never see them again, and knowing that one day it could be you? That's what many of the people highlighted in this book lived through.

The book isn't just about justice, though. It's also about mercy. Sometimes people do commit crimes and sometimes they should be punished for what they did. However, mercy is must come with the judgment. Mercy must be the final outcome. After someone has paid their debt to society, mercy must be granted. Rehabilitation and reintegration into society is no small feat, but it must take priority to avoid reentry to prison or suicides like that of the young Kalief Browder.

...Walter had taught me that mercy is just when it is rooted in hopefulness and freely given. Mercy is most empowering, liberating, and transformative when it is directed at the undeserving. The people who haven't earned it, who haven't even sought it, are the most meaningful recipients of our compassion. Walter genuinely forgave the people who unfairly accused him, the people who convicted him, and thee people who had judged him unworthy of mercy. And in the end, it was just mercy toward others that allowed him to recover a life worth celebrating, a life that rediscovered the love and freedom that all humans desire, a life that overcame death and condemnation until it was time to die on God's schedule.

While I'm 100% positive that the book will always be better, there is a movie in the works. Michael B. Jordan will star as Bryan Stevenson and Jamie Foxx will star as Walter McMillian. It is scheduled to be released on January 17, 2020.[2] Nonetheless, I highly recommend reading this book, and I also encourage you to check out the Equal Justice Initiative,[3] which is still working to provide justice to those society has condemned and forgotten.

References

1. Benjamin Weiser. "Kalief Browder’s Suicide Brought Changes to Rikers. Now It Has Led to a $3 Million Settlement.". NY Times. January 24, 2019
2. "Just Mercy (2020)". IMDb; visited March 2019
3. "Get Involved". Equal Justice Initiative; visited March 2019