Devotional 6-19-20

Genesis 21:8-21 (King James Version)
 
These verses set out the circumstances wherein Abraham sends his maid servant Hagar and her son Ishmael away from the compound.  After his son Isaac is born, Sarah, his wife, sees Ishmael mocking Isaac.  Sarah tells Abraham he must send Hagar and her son away. 
 
Abraham agonizes and reluctantly agrees to send Ishmael and Hagar away after being assured by God that the boy will be the father of a great nation.  So, Abraham sends them off into the wilderness with a bag of water and instructions to go find her own people.
 
While wandering in the desert, she apparently gets lost, runs out of water and is ready to die. 
 
God hears her cries, rescues her, give her water and again promises that the boy will be the father of a great nation. 
 
What I find interesting in this passage are two things.  First, even though Abraham does not want to send Hagar and Ishmael away, he does so, not only because his wife tells him to, which should be reason enough for any man, but also because I think he foresees the problems that will arise after his death in terms of inheritance and other issues.  Secondly, and most importantly, Abraham consults God as to what he should do.  God does in fact take care of the boy and his mother after they are lost in the wilderness.  I think the ultimate message sent in this passage is that God cares for all people, not just Jews and Christians, but all people of the world who worship God. 
 
Lee Oxley 

Devotional 6-21-19

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
 

Hebrews 11:1 (King James Version)

Paul (although there is some disagreement among scholars that he was the author of Hebrews) makes the argument that faith, based upon the word of God, enables the believer to make the right decision when presented with a difficult choice.  Faith is synonymous with perseverance.  Chapter 11 of Hebrews recites the stories of several Old Testament figures to illustrate his point.

For example, Noah, when faced with the unknown after being warned of things not yet seen, was convinced by his faith in God that a flood was coming.  He persevered in the face of doubters and derision and stayed true to his belief.

Faith is the belief that God is right and if we pray and hold fast to our belief we will prevail in the end.  Whether the challenge is in our work, in a relationship, in school or even at Church, if we maintain our faith in God we will be all alright.
 

Lee Oxley

Devotional 10-2-09

Was Job the First Boy Scout?

Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and who feared God and shunned evil.

Psalm 26:1
Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord; I shall not slip.

When I first read the lectionary for today, I have to admit that the Boy Scouts of America was not the first thing that came to mind. However, the more I thought about the above scriptures, and as I tried to define the phrase, “I have walked in my integrity”, I remembered the Scout Law.
A few weeks ago I heard Luke Finley’s father (Luke is a scout in Johnson Memorial’s Troop 20) compare the virtues of Scouting and the Scout Law to the Ten Commandments at Luke’s Eagle Award Ceremony. The more I thought about the twelve points of the Scout Law, (It is one law with 12 points, and not 12 laws as all young Scouts are sternly reminded) I reflected upon the character of Job.
How would I describe a man who was “blameless and upright”?
As the Scout Law states: A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent.
I have omitted any discussion of Job’s cleanliness, since I did not see it specifically addressed in the Book. I have no doubt he was probably a very clean man, in both thought and action, given the circumstances he found himself in.
Neither did I find any discussion of Job’s cheerfulness, although I believe that he was as cheerful as one could be having lost all of your children, as well as your wealth, while afflicted with boils.
Clearly, Job was Thrifty. We are told in Verse 3 that he owned thousands of sheep, camels, oxen, donkeys and had many servants. One commentary that I read indicated that that much livestock was worth several hundred thousand dollars alone. A Scout is taught to work to pay his own way, and to help others. He conserves and protects natural resources.
He was Trustworthy, Loyal, Courteous and Kind. Apparently, he was known as the “greatest of all the people of the East," according to Verse 3. One does not receive that kind of praise without exhibiting traits of courtesy, kindness and trustworthiness.
However, what really sets Job apart is that he is brave, obedient, and most of all reverent. He steadfastly refuses to blame God for the horrible calamities that befell him. When his wife tells him to just “curse God and die," he responds that we should be willing to accept adversity, as well as good from God, and refuses to abandon his faith in the Lord.
So, in conclusion, the simple answer to the initial question posed is no. Job was not the first Boy Scout, but he “walked in his integrity," and in so doing, fulfilled all of the points of the Scout Law long before Baden Powell wrote the law that formed the foundation of his organization.

Lee Oxley