Reflections on 11 Years of Marriage

Eleven years ago today I was sitting on a beach in Jamaica doing absolutely nothing. Either that or I was eating jerk chicken. Do you know why? Because it was my honeymoon after being married to Alison on November 23, 2002. This past Friday I celebrated my 11th wedding anniversary in a restaurant surrounded by three small children while my wife and I prayed they wouldn't make a scene, start crying, yelling, or somehow ruining our nice dinner out on the town. My how things change.

My wife and I have seen and experienced a lot in the past 11 years. We've lived in three different apartments, two different cities, and a couple of different houses. We've had several different jobs from being a teacher, a waiter, hostess, entrepreneur, handyman, marketing assistant, claims adjuster, and homemaker. We've been single without money and had children without money. Unfortunately we've never been able to describe ourselves as "with money", (oh well). We've been involved in several different churches and made lots of friends. I've successfully navigated traffic in downtown Chicago without getting in one collision with another driver, (although I used my horn profusely and may or may not have used swear words in traffic).

Lillian, naked.

Our biggest change has been the addition of our three kids. I remember Alison first told me she was pregnant for the first time. Even though we were trying to get pregnant, we still sat there for about 30 minutes in shock as we tried to absorb how our lives were going to change. Boy did they ever! Lillian was born on September 13, 2006. I spent the next six months trying to figure out what it meant to be a dad and how to change a diaper, (something I'd never done before). When the shock wore off and I began to get a little sleep I was struck by how wonderful and amazing it was to be a father.

Annie, 4th birthday

Three years later on October 8, 2009, Annie was born. Annie was as different from Lillian as two girls could be. Where Lillian was extroverted and girly, Annie was introverted, moody, and an incredible mess. Either way it was wonderful to get to know both of them and experience the awesome responsibility and joy that comes with being the dad of little girls. There are a lot of "joys" I could share here, but I'll just give you one: There is a certain age when your kids fit perfectly into your arms with their hands wrapped around your neck. It is a feeling of warmth, love, and tenderness that is unrivaled by any experience money can buy. If a person could bottle that feeling and sell it, I am quite certain they could end wars and political conflicts everywhere. Alas, kids only stay in that stage between the ages of two to three and then they grow into other stages with new and wonderful feelings and experiences.

Speaking of new experiences, Alison and I welcomed our son, Mack Hendley, to the world on August 16, 2011, (I think that's the right date anyways). My wife finally got her "little man" that she could dress up in cute little clothes, (because I have been uncooperative in this department). Mack has been a mess as only little boys can be. He loves airplanes, lawnmowers, and pestering his sisters. He has quite a temper, which drives both Alison and I crazy sometimes. Little boys are definitely different than little girls. (Thank you Captain Obvious). We are holding out hope that Mack will grow into a 6'9 power forward who will get a large contract from the NBA and take care of his parents in their old age, (but we're not holding our breath).

Throughout it all my wife and I have remained together. Alison remains my strength, a refuge from a fallen and evil world, and my best friend. She makes me laugh like no one else can and knows me better than I know myself.  When she hurts, I hurt. When I rejoice, she rejoices. When one laughs, the other does too. Our dreams have become one and the same. When our relationship is healthy, things our great. When we're out of fellowship with one another, life is pretty miserable. I can say without hesitation that we truly have "become one". (See also Genesis 2:24).

This is not to say that life has not been without difficulty. Make no mistake, I am a sinful, selfish, lustful, prideful, angry, stupid, and inconsiderate person. As much as I love her I believe I have hurt Alison more than any other person in her life. And, to a much lesser degree, my wife has her own issues with sin, (though only about .00001 percentage of mine), which have caused problems in our marriage. We have had some tremendous "discussions" and "cordial disagreements" throughout our 11 years. We have definitely gone to bed angry at one another on several occasions. I have made plenty of decisions Alison did not agree with or were just altogether stupid. Marriage is one of God's great magnifying glasses that he uses to expose the sin and evil in your life. If you don't want your selfishness and pride to get exposed, don't ever married. Somehow we have survived each other and all the difficulties of everyday life to come through stronger and more in love with one another.

Us

So how have we done it? I really don't know. Mostly it's because my wife is more stubborn, patient, and forgiving than I am. She has refused, on several occasions, to allow a problem to fester in our lives. She has consistently forgiven me when I didn't deserve it. She has faithfully loved me, even at my worst. Somehow we have been able to cling to each other in our hardest struggles. We have learned to appreciate and enjoy the everyday blessings of life, including good friends, good food, and a little peace and quiet once the kids have gone to bed. More than anything, we have clung to Jesus Christ who enables us to love as he has loved (John 13:34; 15:5). Neither of us has the capacity to love selflessly, walk humbly, and admit when we were wrong. It's only by the grace of God that we have survived and grown through the various seasons of marriage.

I write this to give acknowledgement to my wife for being a wonderful friend and partner through 11 wonderful, tough, challenging, and incredible years. I also write this to acknowledge God, who has taught, corrected, loved, and sustained us through our marriage. We would not be where we are without the one who showed us the meaning of true love. May he be praised. May he grant me many more years together with my best friend. Finally, may he make my children sleep through the night and get along with each other, :). Amen.

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another," (1 John 4:10-11).

P.S. Darling, I pray I might continue to grow in Christ so that one day I will consistently live out the verse on my wedding ring, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." And I tell you today the verse I chose for you for our wedding is still true today, "How beautiful and pleasant you are, my beloved, with all your delights," (Song of Solomon 7:6). I love you. - Me.

Job 1:6-22. Job's First Troubles and his Response

Job now lives in a van down by the river.

Author's note: The first two blogs on Job can be found here and here. Not so much here, or here, but right here. If you haven't seen Tommy Boy I don't know what to say to you right now. If you have no idea who Chris Farley is then you're missing out on a comic genius. But back to Job...

We're looking at the life of a man named Job who lived about the time of Abraham, (segue: if you haven't been reading my fascinating blog on Genesis and Abraham, now's the time to check it out! For only $9.99...), but I digress. What we see in the life of Job are the questions all of us will face in our life at one time or another. "Where is God in the presence of suffering and evil?" "Is God in control?" "Does God care?" "Why does God allow evil to occur?" What is wonderful about the Bible is it doesn't shy away from the deep and painful questions of life. We may not like the answers, but God is no coward. He gives his answer to these deep and hurtful issues in his Word. That's what we'll be looking at in this Job series.

Recap: Job was a very righteous and God fearing person who had a lot of possessions, wealth, and family. Satan came to God. God bragged on Job, that he was a righteous and God fearing man. Satan basically told the Lord that Job would curse God if God took away Job's stuff. God told Satan "everything he has in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger," (Job 1:12).

So what happens? (Read Job 1:13-19). Some people say bad things happen in threes. Well in Job's case it
happens in fours. The first guy runs up and says, "the oxen have been killed along with the servants with them. I was the only one who escaped." As soon as he finishes a second servant runs up and says, "the fire of God fell on the sheep and servants and I was the only one to escape." As soon as he finishes a third servant runs up and says, "Raiders attacked and killed the camels and servants and I was the only one to escape." Finally, and worst of all, the fourth servant runs up and says, "Your sons and daughters were all together in a house and a wind came through and knocked the house down on top of them. I am the only one who survived."

Basically in the span of less than 10 minutes Job's entire wallet of physical blessings is wiped out. His camels: gone. His oxen: gone. His sheep: dead. His sons and daughters: dead. How do we put this in context for ourselves? Suppose you were at work one day and you got a call from your bank. The representative says, "I'm sorry Mr. Hendley, but your identity information was compromised. The thieves took all of your life savings, your retirement, and your kids college funds. In short you are now totally broke." You hang up the call and immediately you get a call from the fire department. The sergeant tells you, "Mr. Hendley, there's been a gas explosion at your house. Your house has totally burned to the ground along with everything you had in it." You put down the phone in tears and you get another call. It's your neighbor who says, "Travis I was backing out of my house and I saw the fire. I didn't see your dog in the driveway and I ran him over. I'm so sorry, but he's dead." At this point you just want to crawl under your cubicle, throw up, and die. Now you get another call. You immediately think about your wife and kids. They were going to the museum today and thankfully were out of the house. You pick up the phone and say, "Honey, you're not going to believe what's happened." Instead of your hearing your wife's voice in response you hear, "Mr. Hendley, this is Trooper Jenkins of the South Carolina Highway Patrol. I'm sorry sir but there's been an accident. A drunk driver crossed the double yellow line on the road and hit your wife's vehicle head on. I'm so sorry, but your wife and children died at the scene."

Good Lord in heaven, that hurt to even imagine and write out. Can you even imagine what Job was feeling in
this moment? If you had stuck your hand into his body and physically ripped his heart out of his chest it would not hurt as bad as what Job was feeling right then. His possessions he had accumulated were gone. His children whom he'd loved were dead. His servants who he had taken care of were annihilated. In an instant he had lost everything. How do you process that as an individual? How do you respond in that moment?

I'll be honest with you. I don't know what to tell you. I think if this happened to me I don't know what I would do. Listen I joke around a lot on the blog but I'm serious in telling you that I would probably be tempted to throw myself off a building if something like this happened to me. I mean, what would you do?

One of the perks of believing in the inerrancy and authority of the Bible is that instead of trying to figure life and issues out yourself, you can submit yourself to the Bible and learn what God has to say. Again, I don't understand all of this, nor do I have the capacity to on my own. I am a fellow traveler trying to understand the tough issues raised in this book, not a master who knows it all. Therefore, let's look at Job and try to learn together.

"Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.' 
In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong." (20-22).

Job, in the face of incredible tragedy and pain, tears his robe and shaves his head on a sign of grief and mourning. He then acknowledges that he was born within nothing and when he dies he will take nothing with him. He acknowledges that God has given him much and now God has taken it away. And he praises the Lord.

Observations:
- Job is not one of those guys who puts a false face or over-spiritualizes everything. He is a man in intense pain and doesn't hide it. He is honest with himself and about what he is going through. He grieves tremendously over what has happened, ripping his garment to show the ripping apart of his heart. At this moment Job does not understand what is going on. He just knows he has lost everything.
- Job worships the Lord. He acknowledges that God is the sovereign ruler of all creation and that God is somehow in control of what has happened. He doesn't understand but he still honors God. Job's actions and statements are true and right, according to verse 22. This is a troubling thing for us to think about and ponder. It leads us to a lot of uncomfortable questions:

Questions:
- Is God responsible for evil? Can God be charged with wrong?
- Where is God in this?
- Why did God allow this to happen?
- Why did God and Satan have this discussion about messing with Job's life?
- Does God care about Job?

Notes:
- This is just my opinion, so take it for what it's worth, but I think we have to view this book like any other book. It's not like you read 10 verses our so out of the book of James, get some life applications, apply it to your life, and move on. Job is a story and like any other story it takes a while to develop. We can pick up things along the way, but we shouldn't look for a quick resolution. This book doesn't end each chapter cleanly with a nice little bow on top. Like any other novel the story develops and progresses throughout the book and comes together at the end. If you're looking for a happy ending here in the first chapter you won't find it. I'm not sure if we'll find one even at the end of the book. But at least for now we just have to hang on for the ride and pay attention.
- The questions posed here will continue to persist throughout the book. It's kind of like a storm that builds and builds until the floodgates break open at the very end.
- The drama and pain dealt with in this book are real. The Bible deals with real life issues. It is a comfort to me to know God honestly deals with death, pain, doubt, fear, insecurity, and loss in his Word. Nothing is sugar coated in the Bible. Life is difficult and the Bible does not ignore that fact.

So I'm afraid I cannot end this blog with a happy thought or funny picture. This is a dark and painful book and it would be inappropriate for me to ignore its content with an irrelevant or silly picture, (as much as I may like to in order to lighten the mood). Let's hang on to poor Job and see what happens. See you next time, (I hope).

This is probably how poor Job feels right now. Alone in a storm. 

Genesis 21:8-21, Sarah is mean, but that's okay (sort of)...And Star Wars

What Abraham looked like at this point, maybe.

In the last Genesis blog we looked how God was faithful to his promises and provided Sarah and Abraham with a son, Isaac. We saw the kindness of God to Abraham and Sarah, who had waited quite a long time, (25 years), for his provision. We also saw the continuation of God's covenant with Abraham, which will now be passed on to Isaac, which is key in understanding the rest of the Old Testament if I do say so myself...and I do...say so.

So oh boy! Now Abraham and Sarah have their son. Life is going to be great. Isaac will receive the covenant promises of God! God's going to work in his life in similar ways that he did with Abraham. Yay! How exciting! But...what are we going to do with Ishmael? Who's Ishmael, you ask? If you don't remember, Abraham decided to take things in his own (ahem) "hands" and help God out. This happened about 12 years ago back in Genesis 16. Sarah encouraged Abraham to sleep with the servant girl, Hagar, to father the child of the covenant promise of God. Abraham (ahem) reluctantly slept with Hagar and Ishmael was conceived. Sarah and Abraham didn't ask God about this "plan", they just did it. After Ishmael came along God reminded Abraham that it would not be Ishmael who would receive God's promises, but Abraham's own offspring. Now the child of promise has been born, (Isaac), and there's Ishmael, the child of human effort and decision making. Awkward. Oops, sounds like trouble.

Genesis 21:8-21 - "And the child (Isaac) grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing," (v8). 

Jabba the Hut is mocking you...like Ishmael did.

Isaac has now started to grow up. Everyone is very excited and Abraham throws a big party to celebrate. But there's a problem. Ishmael, Abraham's son via Hagar, is seen making fun of, or mocking Isaac. The exact meaning of the word is unclear. It means either that Ishmael was making fun of Isaac or in someway disrespecting his authority as the "promised child". Either way, Ishmael has roused the anger of the momma bear in Sarah. Sarah knows that Isaac is the promised child of God and the one who will be the heir to Abraham. She figures that the presence of Ishmael is going to be a problem. Therefore...

"So she said to Abraham, 'Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.' And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, 'Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.' So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away," (10 - 14). 

What you look like to God if you have faith = cute and cuddly.

Sarah gets upset that "the son of this slave woman" is making fun of or disrespecting Isaac. She decides she doesn't want Ishmael around anymore. (This is yet another reason why husbands shouldn't sleep with the hired help, but I digress).

Okay, so I can see you at home reading this, (literally I can, I have cameras everywhere), thinking to yourself, 'What does this have to do with me? What does this have to do with my life and the Biblical story in general?' Good question. There is a reason why these stories in Genesis about people who lived thousands of years ago are important. In this story, the child of faith is set to be the heir while the child of works and human effort is going to be outcast. This is going to be a metaphor for those who would follow after Abraham, the man of faith. The message here is that man shall not receive the blessings of God by their works or human intuition. They shall only receive the blessing of God by faith. 

What you look like to God's due to your works = evil and wrinkled.

Right now you're thinking to yourself, 'Boy, that Travis Hendley sure is smart and spiritual to say something like that.' Well the fact of the matter is I didn't get this conclusion myself. It's explained by Paul, via the Holy Spirit, in the book of Galatians in Galatians 4:21-31. Paul's point in the book of Galatians is that men are saved by God from their sins by faith in Jesus Christ. They start by faith and they continue by faith. Men who seek to gain God's favor by works and human effort are cursed. He references this story about Isaac and Ishmael to prove his point. God does not bless our works or best intentions. God blesses the people who live by faith in the promises of God. So the story of Ishmael and Isaac is allegorical to God's salvation. God saves by faith; he always has and always will. See also Abraham in Genesis 15:6. God will not save a man by a man's effort or works. Ishmael was a child of works and not of faith. Isaac was the child of faith and promise. Ergo, the child of faith shall be the heir and the child of works must go. 

Lessons to be Learned: 
- God will never accept you, me, or anyone else in all of human history, who appeals for blessing or salvation on account of their good works. The reason being is that God saves by faith. Secondly, no one is good enough to appeal to God for salvation according to what they've done. There's only one who is good = God himself.

"Read the Bible or I will stun you, AUGHARRAA!"

- Again we see how important it is to know the Biblical story. The Bible is not an bunch of stories and people who are unconnected. The stories, people, and experiences all build on one another to tell the story of God, his salvation, and his incredible greatness. If we start reading the Bible in Galatians but have never read the story of Ishmael, Isaac, and Abraham in Genesis we are going to find ourselves confused and out of touch with the story. The lesson then is to read your Bible. Start at the beginning. Take notes. Get in tune with what God has been doing from the beginning. If you don't I will send Chewbacca to find you and tear your arms off.

P.S. After Ishmael and Hagar leave God meets them and takes care of them, (just so you know God is not a heartless jerk). But Ishmael disappears from the story because Isaac is the promised and chosen child of God.

Job 1, Part 1, Chapter 1, Verse 1...and pictures of goats

Today's blog post is very creatively titled, "Job 1", because that's where we are starting our series in the book of Job. If you want an introduction and explanation, read yesterday's blog, (just scroll down to see it).

Job had lots of these...for some unknown reason.

So who was Job?
"There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east," (1:1-3).

Well there you go. Job probably lived around the time of Abraham and Isaac, (though scholars disagree). Let's keep in mind that the divine revelation at the time of Abraham was Creation, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel. There was no written Word of God at this time. There was also no direct person to person relationship between God and man, (that is recorded in Scripture anyways), except for Abraham. Just something to keep in mind. Job has just lived according to the revelation he has received.

We also see that Job has been a faithful and righteous guy. He was "blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil." He was not a guy that was a decent fellow, he was an extremely righteous and God fearing man. He is also a very blessed individual. He's got seven sons, (seven signifying perfection), and three daughters, (and three weddings to plan, whoa!). He's got lots of animals. In short, he was one of the greatest of the people in the area.

Camels are dangerous. They eat pyramids.

In verses 4-5 we see that Job is also a very humble man. When his sons and daughters would get together to party he would offer sacrifices to God afterwards just in case one of them had sinned and cursed God inadvertently. In short, Job is a righteous and faithful dude. There is no chink in his armor. There was no stain on his character. One commentator put it, "He is not Everyman; he is unique," (Anderson - NetBible).

The first chapters are setting the stage and context for what's about to happen. We've met the protagonist/good guy, (Job). We're about to meet THE bad guy, (Satan).

"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, 'From where have you come?' Satan answered the Lord and said, 'From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.' And the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?' Then Satan answered the Lord and said, 'Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will curse you to your face.' And the Lord said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.' So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord." (6-12).

Observations/Thoughts:
- The 'sons of God' in this sense refers to angels.
- Satan, a fallen angel, comes from wandering around the earth. In 1 Peter 5:8 we are told that Satan prowls around a lion, looking for someone to devour. Great guy, huh? So Satan's intentions are bad and he starts talking to God about Job. Uh-oh.
- God is pointing out Job to Satan as a man who fears God and turns from evil. Satan points out that Job just fears God because God gives him stuff. He proposes that Job will curse God if God takes away his things. This leads to an uncomfortable question: If my family, possessions, and safety is taken from me, will I still think God is worthy of my praise? If God takes away my stuff, will he still be worthy to me? That's uncomfortable to think about, isn't it? Unfortunately for Job, we're about to see how that scenario will play out in his life.
- Satan is a nasty little thing, isn't he? We can see why God calls him the "accuser of the brethren", in the book of Revelation 12:10. Satan just comes out of the gate like a angry boxer, vilifying Job's character before God. His whole tone just seems judgmental, mean, and vicious.

- Satan has to get permission from God in order to touch Job. He's like a nasty, vicious, and murderous Rottweiler, but he's a dog on God's leash. The observation: God is the sovereign ruler of the universe. There is no good force of the universe, (Luke Skywalker), fighting against the dark side, (Darth Vader, who also happens to be Luke's father, but I digress). There is no yin and yang. There is God, the Lord of everything, and a very evil and fallen angel, Satan. God is in control. That's going to be a very unpleasant fact for Job here in a bit, but his theology on God's position in the universe is not incorrect.

So off Satan goes to do some very bad things. The weird thing is that God allows it. How do we make sense of that? I don't know. That's why we're reading the book. Stay tuned. It's about to get ugly.

God, Suffering, and the Why Questions - aka the Book of Job

Phillipines post tsunami.

Why do bad things happen to good people? Why does God allow suffering? If he's all powerful and he's loving, why doesn't he stop bad things from happening? Does God care when I hurt? Why does God allow evil? Where is God when it hurts?

If you've lived long enough and you have any concept of a divine being, then you have probably asked these questions in one form or another. You've probably had people give you some form of answer, or formulated your own answers through reasoning, reading a spiritual book, or talking with people who have gone through similar experiences.

Lately I have been listening via audio Bible to the book of Job. (Listening to the Bible on the way to work is much more beneficial than listening to say, Miley Cyrus on the radio...I'm just saying). Job is located in the Old Testament, the left side of your Bible, right before the book of Psalms. Job was a guy that lived probably around the time of Abraham and Isaac. As I was listening to the book over and over the thought struck me that God has provided, in his Word, divine perspective on some of the deep questions about life, suffering, evil, and life with God. How wonderful it is of the Lord to provide answers to life's deep questions in the Bible, even some 2,000 years before Jesus arrived on the scene.

The Philippines.

So I thought I would write here about the book of Job and see if I could hopefully shed some light on what the Bible has to say about these tough issues. This is the key thing: It is not what I say, what a preacher says, what a book says, what a politician says, or what a philosopher says that gives us understanding about how to understand evil and suffering. We are to get our answers, as in all things, from the Bible. This is the blessing of the Scriptures because in them God has given answers to the deepest questions of man. We may not always like the answers, but the important thing is that God has not been silent. This by the way is a huge challenge for me, as your faithful SoWhatRambling author, (the only SoWhatRambling author, by the way). I know I'm dealing with tough issues here and I want to be faithful and consistent with what God has said. Always make sure you check my thoughts and comments against the actual Scriptures.

Everybody hates this guy..except weird literary people.

If you are a regular reader of this blog you know that when I'm not writing out blogs about how much my wonderful children drive me nuts, then I am writing about stories from the Bible and what they say. In the Bible blogs I try to stay as true to the Scripture as possible, illustrating and observing what is said. Job is a little harder to read and understand because so much of the book is written in poetic language. If any of you were ever forced to read Shakespeare in college, it's kind of the same thing. (Some of you are saying, "Well, if he was trying to encourage me to read Job he just failed miserably. I hated Shakespeare's stuff.") Me too. But I'm just trying to give you a framework and perspective on how to read the book. Much of the language used is like the monologues in a Shakespearean play. One guy will speak for a chapter, then Job will speak for a chapter or two, and so on. The speakers will use several poetic lines to say something they could have easily said in one sentence. Why do they do that? I don't know. Is this encouraging you to read Job? Probably not. Hey, at least I'm being up front with you. Why should you stay faithful to keep reading Job and my blog anyways? Because I need the money. Every time you come to my blog I get a dollar. Or at least that's what my blog sweatshop manager tells me...

Ahhhhhhh TWIST IT!

Because Job is so long as a book of the Bible I am going to summarize or fly over long portions of the book. Therefore you need to read Job along with me if you want to understand. I recommend doing it via audio while driving, instead of listening to Justin Beiber. If you're listening to Ray Charles, then that's a different story.

Another note about Job. I think this blog about the book of Job is going to be very meditative. In other words, I'm going to be writing out my musings on the book as we go through it. I'm doing it this way for a few reasons. First of all, because of the literary nature of the book it is harder to just observe and illustrate what is being said as opposed to reading through Genesis. Secondly, Job is a hard book dealing with hard subjects. I haven't studied it out to the same degree I have other books of the Bible. I'm approaching Job as somewhat of a beginner. So rather than educating you on what is said in the book of Job, I would rather invite you to travel along side me as I go through it. This way you understand I don't have this figured out, but you can journey along with me as we read through it. Capice?

One more note of introduction. This is a very sad story and a very hard book to understand. It deals with some tough issues of evil, suffering, doubting God, unfairness, etc. In short it deals with real life. So I apologize if I don't include as many funny pictures of half naked Chinese men, (always a favorite), Gumby, or Chuck Norris, (unless absolutely necessary). The reality dealt with in the Bible through Job's life is actually another reason for us to thank God for the Bible because it shows us that God deals with real issues and real hurts in the Scriptures. He doesn't ignore our questions, but rather gives us a divine perspective. For this we should be very thankful.

Gumby and Pokey are ready for Job. 

Genesis 21, Isaac, and a chubby Asian kid.

An actual picture of Travis Hendley...or not.

Didn't you just love the last blog? Wasn't it uplifting? No...Yeah I didn't think so either. Except that part at the end about Jesus. That was good. I'm glad the author put that in there. That Travis Hendley sure is a smart, sensitive, and good looking guy, huh?

If you're new to the SoWhatRamblings blog, we're currently going through a review of the Bible, starting in Genesis. For a further explanation, click here. We have been going over Abraham's life quite in depth, not because I love Abraham necessarily, (although 99 year old men are quite attractive), but because he's one of the foundational figures of the Bible and we need to know about him now so that when Jesus, Paul, or whoever refers to him later in the Bible we will know what they're talking about. That being said, we are actually skipping chapters 20-21 and going onto chapter 22. I know you're all very excited and there is much rejoicing about being able to skip a chapter. 

Rejoicing: People under 30 have no idea what this is about. Sad. 

Now onto Genesis 21:1-21

This passage comes in two parts. In both of these sections, (1-7), and (8-21), we're going to do a lot of observation. A key thing to remember as you read the Bible is to make sure you "read the Bible". (It's brilliant, I know). What I mean is to make sure you take time to read and understand what is going on in the passage and see how God is working, what God is doing and what is happening with the people. Just in the way you read a novel, make sure you read the Bible to understand what's happening. The reason this is so important is because we can get in the habit of reading in order to have some divine revelation or application for our lives and we can miss the actual story of what God is doing. We need to make sure we take time to read, observe, and understand the story. That being said, let's read and observe.

"The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him," (1-4).

Another little tip here that I've mentioned before. When you read the Bible and certain words, phrases or ideas are repeated take note that something important is being said. In these first four verses we see an idea repeated, which is that God had done what he said he would. God promised to give Abraham and Sarah a child of their own through whom the covenant would be fulfilled, and he did it. God promised Abraham and Sarah would bear a child, even in their extreme old age, and he did it. God promised things to Sarah and Abraham and he fulfilled his promises. The Bible is showing here that God is faithful. God will always fulfill his promises. He will always fulfill the covenant promises he has made. This seemingly insignificant point has incredible ramifications for the rest of the Bible story. No matter what happens God is going to fulfill his promises to Abraham and Israel. Keep that in mind boys and girls, because it's very important. It will have implications for the rest of the book of Genesis until we reach the last page of the Bible in Revelation.

"Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, 'God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.' And she said, 'Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age," (5-7). 

Waiting stinks, but chubby Asian kids are awesome. 

Notes:
- Abraham is now 100 years old by the time God provided him with a son. When he started out in Genesis 12 he was 75 years old. He has had to wait 25 years to receive the promised child. This is a rather uncomfortable thing to consider, but sometimes God takes a long time to accomplish his purposes in a person's life. Why? I don't know. It just seems to be the way he works. We'll see this happen in other Biblical figures like Joseph, Moses, the Israelites, David, and Paul to name a few. Waiting seems to be one of God's main tools of growth and refinement. This is a hard thing to understand in a society and culture where we get everything we want when we want it. The idea of having to wait for God to accomplish his purposes in us, lead us, and provide for us seems really strange and unbearable. I for one hate it passionately. Then again, there's nothing to be done about it. It's just the way it is. Abraham waited for 25 years before he received the son God promised him. Throughout that time God taught Abraham to trust him, to follow him, to obey him, and to walk with him. Could God have worked that out a lot quicker? You betcha. But he didn't work that way and he seldom seems to work that way in our lives either.

Today's Happy Old Lady is brought to you by Sarah.

- God blesses those who wait on him and you can see that in Sarah's response. Abraham and Sarah had to wait for their son, Isaac, but now he has arrived. You can just sense Sarah's joy about Isaac's birth here. She is rejoicing in God's provision of a son. God has blessed her and filled her heart with joy and praise to God. It sure was a long time coming to receive her son, but now she is overwhelmed with gladness and thankfulness to the Lord. Waiting on God is worth it.


So what did we learn today class?
1. God is faithful to his Word and his covenant promises to his people, (very important for understanding the Bible and the nation of Israel).
2. God works in us and through us by sometimes making us wait. Everyone who is excited about this please raise your hand. I didn't think so.
3. God is kind and greatly blesses those who trust and wait on him.

Next time, the rest of Genesis 21. Until then, enjoy the "wait", ha ha. 

Genesis 19: The Wrath and Mercy of God

The last blog was about how sometimes God addresses uncomfortable subjects and topics in the Bible. In Genesis 19 we're going to see that very thing. Genesis 19 addresses the subject of homosexuality and judgment of sin. In addition we're going to talk about Hell today. If you've just joined us here at the SoWhat blog, we welcome you and hope you'll come back.

First some background. God had just told Abraham he was about to have a son with his 90 plus year old wife, (everyone say "Ewww"). Now God tells Abraham he is going to drop the hammer on Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sin. "Then the Lord said, 'Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know," (Gen. 18:20-21).

*As a side note, I can't exactly put any good pictures regarding Sodom and Gomorrah, sodomy, or any of that on this page. At the Sowhatramblings blog we try to be as family friendly as possible. Therefore in lieu of unpleasant images I can't post, I am going to just randomly put unpleasant celebrity pictures up instead. 

Gomorrah: unpleasant. Joan Rivers: unpleasant.

The earth cries out to God because of the sin of mankind. In this case it's from Sodom and Gomorrah. Think about Sodom, where we get the word sodomy, and you get the idea of what was going on in this area. God has spoken that homosexuality is wrong. In Genesis 2-3 he created sex and the sexes. God's design since Creation for relationships is that they be between one man and one woman. You may not like it and it may not sound fair to you, but God has spoken. Remember, God is the one who knows what is best for mankind and he is the one who sets the standards, not you and not me. The same holds true for any command God has given. Neither you nor I get do decide what is right and wrong, (see also prior blog). The results are pretty bad when man makes his own determination on right and wrong, (see also prior blog).

The story picks up in Genesis 19:1-3. The angels of God go to the town and run into Lot, Abraham's nephew. Lot recognizes the men as divine messengers and begs them to stay with him for the evening. The angels mention they planned on just sleeping in the town square that evening, but Lot, knowing what kind of town he lived in, tells them that would be a very bad idea and makes sure they stay with him in his house. Kudos to Lot. Although he lived in a very bad city, (and probably shouldn't have been there in the first place), he tried to do the right thing in this situation.

Genesis 19:4-11 - Where Things Get Unpleasant
So the angels go to Lot's house and have dinner, (I think they ordered out). In the evening the men of the town surround Lot's house and demand the men/angels come out of Lot's house so they can sexually assault them. (Note: these are men wanting to sexually assault what they think are other men. It sounds as if the outcry to God about Sodom and Gomorrah's wickedness has been confirmed). Lot, being a righteous fellow, blocks the men from entering and begs the men not to do such a wicked thing. Then he offers his two virgin daughters to the men to "do with as you please." I really don't know what to make of this and it bears further review and study. I know being hospitable to folks was really important in those days, but offering your daughters up for the rape and molestation of the town folks seems a bit extreme.

Luckily it doesn't come to that. The men are hellbent on raping the men who are guests in Lot's house, so they begin to break down Lot's door. The angels reach out, save Lot, and then strike all the men in town with blindness so they couldn't get in.

Sodom: scary. Kenny G: Scary

Notes:
- Things are bad in the town. Not only is perversion and sin present in the people, but it's not even concealed or hidden. The people of the town are openly immoral against the sexual standard of God, (see also Genesis 2-3). They are also violent men seeking to do harm to others. There is no standard of righteousness within the town except for whatever each man desires, (which in this case, as in all other instances, is a very bad thing).
- God has investigated the town and confirmed it is unrighteous and wicked. God never makes a judgment without knowing the facts. Then men were given a chance to act righteously, (the warning of Lot), and they failed. God's judgment is about to fall. It will be righteous and unpleasant for those involved.

Before she went crazy...

Genesis 19:12-22 - Judgment
The angels tell Lot that the wrath of God is about to fall on the city, (which is always a good indicator that it's time to relocate). Lot tries to warn his future son-in-laws about the impending judgment of God, but they reject him as either crazy or foolish. (This same "rejection" will be felt by all those who proclaim what is right and true about God, the world, and sin). The angels save Lot and his daughters from the city. Lot's wife, by her own foolishness, didn't make it.

So what's the big deal here? What does this have to do with me as I read the Bible and try to live in the 21st Century? I'm glad you asked random person. Let me splain somethings to ju, (that's my best Ricky Riccardo impression):

Sodooomm! You got some splainin to do!

1. Throughout the rest of the Bible Sodom and Gomorrah are going to be a symbol for wickedness and judgment. God will, throughout the Old and New Testaments, refer the people back to Sodom and Gomorrah as a warning.
2. The judgment of God is a very real thing that we all must account for at one time or another. God is going to judge each man according to his deeds and he will always make righteous judgments. Abraham was talking to God before he wiped out Sodom and Gomorrah and he pleaded with him to spare the righteous in the city saying, "Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is just?" (Gen. 18:25). God will always act justly. No charge of unfairness can ever be laid at the feet of the Almighty. God's judgment is coming. We may not get wiped out like Sodom and Gomorrah. We may even live a long life with few problems. But when we die we are all going to have to stand before the Lord and be judged by his righteous standard. Remember Adam and Eve? For one disobedient act they were cast out of heaven forever. In the same way, our unrighteousness will keep us from the presence of God.
3. According to God, homosexuality is wrong. If you're reading this blog that may sound unpleasant, mean, or hateful. I understand that. The question for all of us, heterosexual or homosexual, is 'What does God say?' It's not what I think, what you think, what a majority of society thinks, what Kim Kardashian thinks, etc. The question we all have to answer, on whatever issue is what does the Creator of all life think and say? In his kindness, goodness, and wisdom, the Lord has set forward a standard of what is right and good for mankind. You are free to reject that at your own peril, but see also point #2 above.
4. Hell is real, but it is not the hell you see on cartoons. Hell is where the devil gets to run around and poke people. Hell is the judgment of God upon sinners. Hell is separation from the Creator of all life. Hell is separation from a God of goodness, love, and wisdom. Hell is separation from real joy and life.

So judgment is coming upon all unrighteous, hell is real, and God has set forth a standard, (the Bible), by which he will judge all men. If you're being honest, you will admit you have failed to keep that righteous standard and you are starting to wonder about your eternity and the judgment of God. This brings me to point #5.

5. God has already poured out hell and judgment upon his own perfect and righteous Son, Jesus, so that men may stand on HIS righteousness and escape the judgment of God. Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, came to earth and lived a perfectly obedient and righteous life. He lived his whole life in loving obedience to his Father in heaven. Then he was falsely accused, convicted, and hung on a wooden cross where he was tortured and he died. Jesus's suffering on the cross was not only physical pain, but it was spiritual and emotional as well. He experienced the full weight of God's wrath against sin, bearing the punishment for all sinners. He experienced hell on earth and separation from his Father in heaven. This is why, while on the cross, he cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!", (Matthew 27:46). The judgment that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah fell upon Jesus.

And then there's that guy.

Why did Jesus do this? He did it because "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life," (John 3:16). God gave his son to experience hell and judgment on sin so that sinful men would not have to. Instead, men can stand in the righteousness of Jesus before God in heaven. They can escape judgment on their sin because another has already been judged for them. All men have to do is trust that Jesus paid it all for them and be willing to turn from their sins to God. Just like Lot, men can escape from judgment if they turn from sin and run to Jesus.

Pretty cool, huh? By that I mean Jesus, not Pee Wee.

What you see at the entrance into Hell.

Genesis 19: the Wrath and Mercy of God, and an extremely long introduction that keeps going and going and going...

Just a note: I realize I do a lot of blogs that are parts or series and I sometimes don't finish those series. I admit I have a problem. I am working on it with a licensed counselor I found online who has been very helpful. All they asked for was a major credit card and my personal password to my email, etc, but he/she seems very helpful even though I don't know their real name and have never seen them in person. But at this point I haven't gotten over my partitisness, so we shall continue until my counselor either resolves my problem or takes all my money. All that to say I know I started a Nadab and Abihu series. I promise I'll get back to it soon enough. I know you're all waiting with baited breath. But for now, we continue with my other series: Genesis. 

The little Asian man is "uncomfortable".

Sometimes the Bible talks about stuff that is uncomfortable. Sometimes in the Bible God addresses sin or evil habits/thoughts in our lives. It's not very unpleasant to be called out on those things. I for one, get rather defensive when my wife calls me out, (rightfully), for leaving food out overnight, getting angry at the children, or for being insensitive to her, (yes, I know you're all surprised that even I, Travis Hendley, could be an insensitive toad). No one likes having to admit they were wrong. The Bible is like that because sometimes acts like a mirror in that it can show us the dirt and nastiness on our own lives. That's uncomfortable.

Sometimes the Bible talks about difficult subjects, like Hell, judgment and the wrath of God. That's uncomfortable for folks because they don't like the idea of an almighty and sovereign God judging people and punishing them for the evil in their lives. We also don't tend to like it when God tells us what is right and wrong. We want to be able to determine what is right and wrong for ourselves, and if there's an almighty judge and arbiter of the universe then we don't get that power anymore. That's uncomfortable.

The problem is there has to be a moral and righteous standard outside of ourselves to determine right and wrong. Why, you may ask? Why can't I just decide what is right and wrong? Well technically, you can. In one sense God has given and women the freedom to choose how they want to live and what they determine is right and wrong. He will allow them the freedom and consequences of their choices. However, history has shown that whenever men and women become their own rulers and own arbiters of right and wrong society falls into chaos, immorality, murder, torture, and death. See also the Roman Empire, Nazi Germany, Russia under Stalin, China under Mao, the United States in the 60's, the United States right now, (ouch). You can also see this in the Bible in the book of Judges. At this time in Israel's history, (we're not there yet), the Israelites decided, with a few exceptions, that they would forsake God's commands and do life their own way. The result was that things started to spiral badly out of control in their nation. By the end of the book the nation had descended into gross immorality, murder, and evil to the point where the nation of Israel almost wiped out one of its own tribes.

Why does this happen? It happens because of sin. What is sin? Sin is anything contrary to the character and command of God. God has given his commands, not because he's a jerk, but because he's not stupid. He knows how life works best for human beings and that is in fellowship with him and obedience to his Word. He is wise, loving, and good and therefore so are his commands. To use an overly simple illustration it's also why I tell my children not to put their finger into electrical outlets. At this point I am smarter than them and I care for them, so I don't want them to singe the hairs off their eyebrows. It's the same way with God. He created the universe, marriage, sex, men and women, and knows how life will work best for them.

Let me illustrate how this plays out with my children: My middle child and son were sick. They had some
congestion which caused them to cough during the night. So my wife and I got some hot air humidifiers to steam up their rooms at night and help them breathe easier. Those humidifiers work by basically boiling the water in the tank so that steam comes out into the air. Well there is the danger of getting burned if you touch the wrong part on the humidifier. It's no problem for my son because he's caged into his crib, but it is a problem for my inquisitive 4 year old who can get out of bed and wander around and touch things. My wife and I, knowing this, instructed our daughter on the dangers of touching this machine and how it would burn her if she touched the wrong part. For her good and her protection we advised her NOT to touch the machine under any circumstances because she would get burned. Well what happened? You guessed it.

Every parent has seen this expression.

The following is an actual conversation that took place in my living room at 9 pm one evening. 

Annie, (hurriedly walking downstairs): "Mommy!"
Mommy: "What?"
Annie: "My finger hurts?"
Daddy: "Go to bed, you'll feel better in the morning." (If you're a parent, you understand).
Annie, (getting distressed, showing she's really hurt): "But it HURTS!"
Mommy, (more compassionate that Daddy): "What happened honey?"
Annie: "Welliputmyfinder(sob)inthethinganditburnedmyfingerandnowitHURTS(SOB)"!!!
Mommy: "Did you touch the machine Daddy told you not to?"
Annie, sobbing: "YES!"
Daddy: "Did Daddy tell you not to that it would burn you?"
Annie: "Yes!"
Mommy: "Then why did you do it?
Annie, (giving the answer that every child everywhere has spoken): "I DON'T KNOW!"
Footnote: The child was tended to, ice was given for her finger, and the issue was resolved with compassion. Don't call DSS on me. 

So what's my point here? I started this long introduction to Genesis 19 talking about the way the Bible sometimes makes us feel uncomfortable with the subjects it addresses and the commands that are given. The point I'm trying to illustrate is that if we, as humans, reject that authority and sometimes uncomfortable instruction, we will get burned. God's commands and instruction, though sometimes uncomfortable, are for the good and blessing of people. When we reject that instruction the results are much more unpleasant than a burned finger.

All that was just an introduction to Genesis 19 and the account of Sodom and Gomorrah. Stay tuned for Genesis 19 a continuation of the series...if I can manage to not get distracted again by something "SQUIRREL!"