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From Gilgal to Bokim: a squandered opportunity to walk by faith

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Judges 2 opens with a statement that the angel of the Lord went from Gilgal to Bokim. Throughout the book of Joshua, Gilgal served as Israel’s headquarters, the location of the tent of meeting. Think of it! God had to follow his people to a place of woe because they no longer followed him.

The story of Judges represents a recurring theme of the apparent victory of sin and rebellion that made it necessary for Jesus to come and die.

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All things are lawful. Does that mean anything goes?

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Sin. all things are lawful
Nowadays, sin seems like a good thing. / Corey Balazowich via Flickr

In our experience, some things are lawful and others illegal. In that regard, 1 Corinthians 6 has a very odd juxtaposition of ideas. 

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

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God’s promise of shalom in a crisis

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Jeremiah 29:11 ranks high on the list of favorite Old Testament scriptures. As much as we love it, do we really understand how much it promises? “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV)

“Prosper” translates the Hebrew word shalom, a word (a noun, by the way) so rich it has no good English equivalent. It usually appears in English translations as “peace.” In fact, many English translations of Jeremiah 29:11 say, “plans for peace” or something similar.

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