The Strength of Pharaoh

“The thing that hath been, is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”  - Ecclesiastes 1:9

How many times has history repeated itself without the people of earth learning from the mistakes?  How many times have we, as a people, rejected God only to come to ruin because of it?  I have been reading through Isaiah, and a great parallel stood out at me as I read through Isaiah 30: 

“Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of Me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin:  That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at My mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!  Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion….  For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still.” (Isaiah 30:1-3,7)

Israel was under the threat of attack from Assyria at this point in history.  They were trying to figure out what to do, how to protect themselves against the threat.  But they made a disastrous decision: rather than appealing to God for help, they decided to appeal to the pagan nation of Egypt.  Egypt was a mighty physical power, they had countless chariots, fighting men, and implements of war, enough to theoretically defeat the hostile nation of Assyria, no doubt.  But God desired that Israel trust solely in Him, and not in the temporal strength of a pagan nation.  Israel failed to heed God’s commands, however, and thus it led them into yet another sin against a patient and loving, but yet strict, God. 

So have we, today in America, forgotten as Christians where our trust should lie.  It is not in any human government, be it our own or be it someone else’s, but in God alone is our salvation.  No one else truly has the power to save us.  In God alone is our trust!  May we see the error of our ways as a nation and turn back to God before we are ruined.  Our government is powerless before an all-powerful God.  Praise Him from Whom all blessings flow!  For He is our only Hope.  May we, like David, cry out:

“Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.  Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts.  Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.  Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.” – Psalms 119: 133-36

NOTE: This is copied from my new blog, on which I'll probably be writing more often.  Shoot me an email if you'd like to follow that.  Thanks!

¹Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

 ²The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

 ³For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

 ⁴The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

 ⁵His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

 ⁶He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.

 ⁷His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

 ⁸He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.

 ⁹He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.

 ¹⁰He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

 ¹¹He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.

 ¹²Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.

 ¹³Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.

 ¹⁴Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.

 ¹⁵Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

 ¹⁶The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of His land.

 ¹⁷LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

 ¹⁸To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

-Psalm 10

The Importance of Family Defense

            The idyllic scene of a country home with a flintlock over the mantle has within it a lot of symbolism.  In most old homes, the fireplace was one of the most prominent and permanent fixtures.  It was there that the important family heirlooms often resided, the paintings and shadow-art of relatives and ancestors, and then in many homes, the father’s rifle.  It remained easily accessible, ready to be retrieved for the defense of the family against any threat. 

            Three years ago, for Christmas of 2005, my father bought me an M1 Garand, one of the greatest battle implements of WWII.  My family on my father’s side has always had a fascination with the weapons of WWII, and particularly the M1 Garand.  From the time he was young, he and his brothers (my uncles) collected the rifles and accoutrements of that era, unfortunately losing most of them in a house break-in shortly before my dad graduated high school.  But my father’s fascination with the Garand remained, and he collected books and other smaller artifacts associated with the rifle.  Always, though, he kept some kind of firearm handy in our house to protect my family from whatever danger may enter our domain. 

            I grew up not only noticing this, but being trained in how to use a rifle, and eventually a pistol and shotgun, primarily for hunting and target practice, but always with the idea that it was a dangerous implement, to be used wisely and cautiously.  When I was 9, I saved up for and bought my first rifle, and my dad trained me to use it well.  Shortly thereafter, my father permitted me to keep the rifle in my own closet, being carefully instructed in safe conduct with the weapon.  He was frequently away, being an airline pilot, and I knew that it was my unspoken duty to protect the family when he wasn’t around, despite the fact that I was only 10-12 years old at the time.  

            This is why the gift from my dad three years ago has come to mean something far more than just a very neat and handy piece of history (though it is that!).  My dad passed to me a legacy; he passed to me a sword when he gave me that M1.  It is the sword that every husband and father should take up, that of the defense of his family, in all areas: spiritually, emotionally, and physically.  He passed to me the knowledge that it is my solemn and sacred duty to fight for my family, to place myself in harms way to protect them when necessary. 

            Someday, I hope to pass on that legacy to my sons.  My own interest has expanded a couple centuries into the past, back to the nostalgia of flintlocks, an example of which now resides over my own fireplace in my apartment.  But whatever the weapon may be, it is the concept that counts.  These rifles may simply be a fascinating piece of history to a collector today, but they are infinitely more – a symbol of my duty – not just a duty to my family, but it is a reminder that the defense and godly leadership of my family is a duty to God. 

Currently Reading The Screwtape Letters By C. S. Lewis see related

Can We As Christians Vote for McCain/Palin?

            For almost everyone who knows me, it has been a big shock to hear that I have not been gung-ho at all this election cycle about the McCain/Palin ticket.  I’ve caught a lot of flak from many of my closest friends and family for taking this stance, but it is one I must take.  The question that usually follows this revelation is, “You aren’t voting for OBAMA, are you?!” to which I reply with a hearty NO!  Not in this life or the next! 

            But just because I am a staunch biblically-minded conservative does not mean I’m going to vote Republican either.  In fact, as ironic as it may seem to some, it is because I am a staunch biblically-minded conservative that I’m not voting for McCain/Palin. 

            I’ll start off this explanation with a little side-trip story.  I’ve been working off and on lately, whenever I can between school and my job, for the campaign here in Arizona in support of our proposition to define marriage as being between one man and one woman.  I was staffing our booth at a local patriotic fair-type event, when I saw a man walk by carrying things to set up at the empty booth next to us.  He was wearing slacks and a collared shirt, casually but nicely dressed, and he was holding the hand of his ten year old daughter, who happened to be wearing a long skirt.  Around here, that usually means only two things: either they’re very conservative Mormons or they’re very conservative homeschoolers!  I banked on the latter and asked what church they attended.  Turns out, he, his wife, and his family of six kids (all of whom came to help him that night) attend one of only three family-integrated churches in Arizona, the only other two being the one we attend, and the other an off-shoot of his church!  We were both ecstatic to meet each other in a place which can be quite hostile towards believers who believe as we do.  We talked for a long time, and he brought out a very good point which I’d like to share. 

            First off, I’ve done some research on the Constitution Party, and have been extremely impressed by their blatant support of bringing America back to her Biblical roots.  Their stance on the social issues is generally very solid as well.  However, there has always been one thing that has kept me from supporting them, and that is their take on American’s foreign involvement, particularly as it involves Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel.  Perhaps it is because of the fact that I’m in the military and have gotten wind of the intelligence that filters through the grapevine on the capabilities of and threats posed by the terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the neighboring countries.  Our presence there is like a radiator in a car engine, it spreads through the hottest parts and cools them down so they don’t overheat and blow up.  If we pull out of there, it will come back to haunt us.  It would be like taking our hand off the straps holding a raving lunatic’s arms behind his back. 

            Not only this, but their belief that we should pull out all foreign aid applies also to Israel, and that’s something that I don’t think we can afford to do – not support Israel.  They’re God’s chosen people, and while there is something to be said for letting them stand on their own two feet, we can’t forget who’s side we’re on.  This being said, I do agree with them that we need to focus on our own borders more than we currently do, and if it has to come at the cost of involvement in foreign countries in general, then that’s a possibility we have to consider.  That much is a basic principle – if you over-extend your lines, they are far more susceptible to penetration by the enemy.  Perhaps the key lies in creating a balance.

            I have said all that to give the reasons I’ve had thus far for not supporting the Constitution Party.  But it still remains: can I actually support the Republican Party?  I have many complaints against them as well, and as I’ve begun to realize, they are far more severe than those I have with the Constitution Party.  McCain made a very politically sound move in selecting Palin as his running mate, but her addition to the McCain ticket has added a whole new dimension – an outright biblical offense which many Christians are too blind to see - not to mention McCain’s sketchy voting record and suspicious right-hand twist just before the elections.  I was appalled when Dr. James Dobson, who once said he would never under any circumstances vote for McCain for President, did a complete turn-around and has come out in support of him under the auspices that he’s “really changed”.  

            With regards to Sarah Palin, I’ve heard the gauntlet of arguments, mostly from my immediate and extended family: “She’s a Christian!” or “What about Deborah?  She was a woman!” and even “God raises up those in authority, therefore she’s blessed by God to be doing what she’s doing.”  All of these are common excuses for Christians to make right now in order to justify their support of her and McCain. 

            Even if you do not look at it from a biblical perspective, her addition to the ticket should add no appeal to McCain – he’s the one that’s actually going to be President if elected!  The only way she would become the President is if he died – which is unlikely despite what many people are saying right now.  So what about McCain?  I ask you simply to take a look at his statements and voting record prior to this election cycle.  Consider also the fact that John Kerry had actually considered him for a running mate in 2004…

            Now, if we look at Sarah Palin in a truly biblical light, you arrive at an even more grim outlook of the Republican Party.  Mr. Doug Philips has posted many great articles with a Scripturally-based viewpoint of Mrs. Palin, and I’d encourage you to go read those.  To summarize what they’re saying in those articles, it comes down to this: if Mrs. Palin is truly a Christian, and claims to believe and follow all of the Bible, why does she choose to ignore certain parts of it?  The parts I refer to are those not only in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament, which in no uncertain terms command that men are to be the leaders, not just in the home, but in the church and in the area of civil rule.  Paul said flat out, “I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man...” (I Timothy 2:12).  This is supported by many more references in the Old Testament, where God commanded that men (read males, the masculine form) take the leadership positions in the home, in the church, and in civil law.

Currently Reading Family Man, Family Leader By Phillip Lancaster see related

"If your education is being governed by anybody else's rules but Jesus', then you cannot say that you are a [Christian] homeschooler."
~Scott Somerville, with reference to receiving government aide and direction in homeschooling.

A very inciteful point... and I believe this applies not just to our own government, but to any other regimen or system that conflicts with Scripture, to include classical education.  It is vital that our children are brought up in the nuture and admonition of the Lord, but when you separate that from the rest of a child's education, then you run the risk of separating it's applicability to every area of society and life in their mind.  Our walk with God can and should permeate every area of our lives, and influence our decisions.  There is no line of demarkation in Christ's dominion over us. 

This brings up another very interesting point that is often overlooked, particularly in the area it is most important - homeschooling.  As the leader of the household, a man is the spiritual leader over his wife and children.  If our relationship with Christ is supposed to permeate every area of education, why do so many homeschool dads leave the scholastic side of education to the mothers?  Just as Christ must influence every area of education from math to history and science, does it not follow that as the spiritual leader the father must provide teaching and guidance in those areas as well?  Granted, the father is the provider in the home, which in this day and age takes him away often, leaving the mother to provide most of the instruction, but it seems like all too often, dads just take to the sideline and watch their wife do the homeschooling.  This has lead to other things, such as the mothers becoming the primary leaders in homeschool groups and organizations.  But aren't the fathers supposed to be the leaders?... 

So what can be done to remedy this?  What about those fathers whose jobs take them away from the home so often that teaching their children in any form, be it spiritually or scholastically, becomes impractical?  I'd say make it practical.  I have a great advantage in this regard, because my life is still young, and I'm still able to shape which way it goes.  Not everyone has the opportunity to change their careers, or begin new ones.  In days past, the father always raised his sons working with him in whatever trade he knew and practiced.  His sons became his apprentices, to one day take over the business and carry it on.  This system afforded him an incredible opportunity so rarely seen today - the opportunity to mentor his sons spiritually, vocationally, and educationally, all at one time, in one fluid lesson that lasted for most of their young lives.  The young men watched their father in every arena of his life, and could see how his faith blended with his vocation, how he lived his life as a whole. 

What a great opportunity to raise children in the nuture and admonition of the Lord, to raise sons who will become men of God.