Back to our readings in the History section of the Old Testament. If you’re following the schedule, the blog is a bit behind because of Holy Week. I won’t try to write in detail about every event.

We’re moving into the monarchy phase of Israel’s history with the selection of Saul:

There was a man from the tribe of Benjamin named Kish. He was the son of Abiel, grandson of Zeror, great-grandson of Becorath, great-great-grandson of Aphiah—a Benjaminite of stalwart character. He had a son, Saul, a most handsome young man. There was none finer—he literally stood head and shoulders above the crowd! (1 Samuel 9.1, MSG)

“Stalwart character” is the word rendered “wealthy” in some translations. Kish was a mighty man, by whatever measure you want, but the text doesn’t say Saul was a mighty man of stalwart character. This goes with my observation from the beginning of chapter 8. The sons don’t always measure up to the father. Saul was tall and handsome. Maybe that’s all he had. We’ll see.

Saul starts in humility with a “Who, me?” moment similar to what we saw with Gideon:

“I’m the Seer,” said Samuel. “…At this moment, Israel’s future is in your hands.” Saul answered, “But I’m only a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and from the most insignificant clan in the tribe at that. Why are you talking to me like this?” (1 Samuel 9.19 – 21, MSG)

Samuel anoints Saul at the beginning of chapter 10 and gives him three confirming signs, which take place as advertised. When he gets home, he doesn’t even tell his family what happened. And when the people gather to meet their new king, he’s hiding!

After Samuel got all the tribes of Israel lined up, the Benjamin tribe was picked. Then he lined up the Benjamin tribe in family groups,…and the name Saul, son of Kish, was picked. But when they went looking for him, he was nowhere to be found. Samuel went back to GOD: “Is he anywhere around?” GOD said, “Yes, he’s right over there—hidden in that pile of baggage.” They ran and got him. He took his place before everyone, standing tall—head and shoulders above them. Samuel then addressed the people, “Take a good look at whom GOD has chosen: the best! No one like him in the whole country!” Then a great shout went up from the people: “Long live the king!” (1 Samuel 10.20 – 24, MSG)

Saul starts humbly. We find him in chapter 11 back plowing the fields when he is called into action. Nahash, king of the Ammonites, threatened to gouge out the right eye of all the people of Jabesh Gilead.

The town leaders of Jabesh said, “Give us time to send messengers around Israel—seven days should do it. If no one shows up to help us, we’ll accept your terms.” The messengers came to Saul’s place at Gibeah and told the people what was going on. As the people broke out in loud wails, Saul showed up. He was coming back from the field with his oxen. Saul asked, “What happened? Why is everyone crying?” And they repeated the message that had come from Jabesh. The Spirit of God came on Saul when he heard the report and he flew into a rage. He grabbed the yoke of oxen and butchered them on the spot. He sent the messengers throughout Israel distributing the bloody pieces with this message: “Anyone who refuses to join up with Saul and Samuel, let this be the fate of his oxen!” The terror of GOD seized the people, and they came out, one and all, not a laggard among them. Saul took command of the people at Bezek. There were 300,000 men from Israel, another 30,000 from Judah. (1 Samuel 11.3 – 8, MSG)

Saul leads them to victory and gives the credit to God:

This is the day GOD saved Israel! Come, let’s go to Gilgal and there reconsecrate the kingship.” They all trooped out to Gilgal. Before GOD, they crowned Saul king at Gilgal. And there they worshiped, sacrificing peace offerings. Saul and all Israel celebrated magnificently. (1 Samuel 11.13 – 15, MSG)

A good start for Saul and a clear lesson: a leader can rally the entire population, and good things can happen if…

• The Spirit of God is on the leader.
• The terror of God falls on the people to follow him.
• There is a worthy cause.
• The leader gives credit to God.

Chapter 12 contains Samuel’s last address to the people, in which he declares his integrity. (See 1 Samuel 12.1 – 5.) Then Samuel closes with a promise and a warning:

And neither will I walk off and leave you. That would be a sin against GOD! I’m staying right here at my post praying for you and teaching you the good and right way to live. But I beg of you, fear GOD and worship him honestly and heartily. You’ve seen how greatly he has worked among you! Be warned: If you live badly, both you and your king will be thrown out.” (1 Samuel 12.23 – 25, MSG)

And, after a good start, things start to go downhill right away. Stay tuned.

I’m eager to get back to our Old Testament narrative, but I’m compelled to react to the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore around 1:30 a.m. last Tuesday morning. When I woke up to the news, my first thought was, “Isn’t this something we do every day? How can a ship crash into a bridge?” Answer: it lost power and it was adrift.

In an instant, a 1.6-mile-long bridge is destroyed:

Because of cameras in place, you can see the crash as it happened:

The ship was almost 1,000 feet long and weighed 213 million pounds. That’s a lot of mass, and no bridge is built to withstand an impact from such a vessel, even at relatively slow speeds. In this picture you can see a portion of the bridge AND the roadway itself sitting on the bow:

Here are some of my observations:

• Because the ship radioed proper authorities that they had lost power and might hit the bridge, quick-acting people were able to stop traffic. No through traffic was on the bridge at the time of the collapse.
• The only fatalities were from the crew of Latino immigrants fixing potholes. A routine, boring, mostly unseen job. Men just trying to provide for their families and do useful work in the world. Gone. Two were rescued nearly immediately, one with serious injuries. The bodies of two men have been recovered from the water. There are still four missing and presumed dead.
• The gap between the piers where the ship was supposed to pass was 1200 feet. The ship is 158 feet wide. There was a much larger probability that the ship would pass right through. But it hit the support.
• Jason Gay of the Wall Street Journal echoed one of my sentiments: What makes the Key Bridge tragedy so difficult to process is how common these crossings are to our daily lives. Bridges and arteries like this span everywhere, not just in port cities—feats of engineering and construction so omnipresent we take their wonder for granted. Instead we complain about their traffic and condition, even as we rely on them every day. 
• A friend of mine lives in the area, and he posted: We ought to also pray for the damage to the livelihoods of the 15,000+ people working at Baltimore’s port facilities. In the wider scheme of things, the collapse of the bridge endangers the 140,000 jobs in the area indirectly supported by port activity.

I guess the biggest takeaway is that we need to “Count our blessings.” Do we realize how many things have to go right for us to “have a good day”?

My times are in your hands… (Psalm 31.15, NIV)

[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1.15 – 17, ESV)

He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” (Matthew 28.1 – 10, ESV)

It’s Holy Saturday, and Jesus is in a tomb:

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. (Matthew 27.57 – 61, ESV)

A friend of mine gave me an intriguing book, Descent, which is described as:

Part of a series inspired by key events in the New Testament, this book presents a sequence of over 100 great works of art depicting the moving final scene of Christ’s earthly sojourn – the removal of His body from the Cross.

The art had one thing in common: Jesus was dead.

It’s hard to find a picture of Jesus in the tomb as I have posted below. Most tomb pictures are empty. We want to jump straight to the resurrection. But there was a time when Jesus was dead. His followers knew he was dead. No one expected the resurrection. They had no thought of his coming back. It was over.

How would that have felt?

It’s intriguing that his enemies seemed to have a better recollection of Jesus’ words than the disciples!

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. (Matthew 27.62 – 66, ESV)

[Originally published in the Ewellogy on April 8, 2023.]

It’s Good Friday, and we conclude our Lenten meditations with the closing stanzas 54 – 62 of George Herbert’s poem “The Sacrifice.” If you clicked that link, you got the original version of the poem with 1633 spellings. I have been posting my version with current spellings. I now make that version available to you in its entirety: “The Sacrifice,” by George Herbert with modernized spellings.

• Shame tears my soul, my body many a wound;
• Sharp nails pierce this, but sharper that confound;
• Reproaches, which are free, while I am bound.
•                                               Was ever grief like mine?

• Now heal thy self, Physician; now come down.
• Alas! I did so, when I left my crown
• And fathers smile for you, to feel his frown:
•                                               Was ever grief like mine?

• In healing not myself, there doth consist
• All that salvation, which ye now resist;
• Your safety in my sickness doth subsist:
•                                               Was ever grief like mine?

• Betwixt two thieves I spend my utmost breath,
• As he that for some robbery suffereth.
• Alas! what have I stolen from you?  Death.
•                                               Was ever grief like mine?

• A king my title is, prefixed on high;
• Yet by my subjects am condemned to die
• A servile death in servile company:
•                                               Was ever grief like mine?

• They give me vinegar mingled with gall,
• But more with malice: yet, when they did call,
• With Manna, Angels’ food, I fed them all:
•                                               Was ever grief like mine?

• They part my garments, and by lot dispose
• My coat, the type of love, which once cured those
• Who sought for help, never malicious foes:
•                                               Was ever grief like mine?

• Nay, after death their spite shall further go;
• For they will pierce my side, I full well know;
• That as sin came, so Sacraments might flow:
•                                               Was ever grief like mine?

• But now I die; now all is finished.
• My woe, man’s weal: and now I bow my head.     [weal = wealth, common good]
• Only let others say, when I am dead,
•                                               Never was grief like mine. –“The Sacrifice” by George Herbert, stanzas 54 – 62.

And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots…And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour…And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. (Matthew 27.33 – 45, 50, ESV)

So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.” (John 19.32 – 37, ESV)

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand. (John 13.1 – 7, ESV)

…Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. (John 13.21 – 26, ESV)

Jesus washed the feet of Peter who denied him and Judas who betrayed him.

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26.26 – 29, ESV)

Paul brings it home, quoting Jesus:

Do this in remembrance of me…Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11.23 – 26, ESV)

Last week I attended a presentation on the Shroud of Turin given by Dr. Rolf Enger, Colonel, USAF (retired), Professor Emeritus of Physics at the US Air Force Academy, follower of Jesus. I knew Rolf back in the 1990s. Rolf has a doctorate in Laser Physics/Holography and was on a team that investigated the Shroud. This account of Rolf’s presentation makes for a fitting Holy Week meditation.

This short introductory paragraph on Wikipedia is all I had known about the Shroud:

The Shroud of Turin is a length of linen cloth that bears a faint image of the front and back of a man. It has been venerated for centuries, especially by members of the Catholic Church, as the actual burial shroud used to wrap the body of Jesus of Nazareth after his crucifixion, and upon which Jesus’s bodily image is miraculously imprinted.

Rolf’s presentation included these facts, also in the Wikipedia article:

The human image on the shroud can be discerned more clearly in a black and white photographic negative than in its natural sepia color, an effect discovered in 1898 by Secondo Pia, who produced the first photographs of the shroud…The documented history of the shroud goes back to 1357.

Full-length image of the Shroud, which is 14 feet 5 inches by 3 feet 7 inches or, as Rolf said, 8 cubits by 2 cubits.

Here are my takeaways from Rolf’s presentation:

• “I don’t know if the Shroud is the burial cloth of Jesus Christ…We will never be able to prove that it is.”
• The image on the Shroud is like a photographic negative, something Rolf’s younger audiences have never heard of!
• Rolf’s team investigated the question: Is the image on the Shroud a painting? They determined it is not a painting but a scorch.
• The team also investigated the question: Are the stains on the Shroud bloodstains? Answer: yes.
• There are mysteries. For example, the Shroud contained spores from 49 different plants, 33 of which grow only in Palestine, the southern steppes of Turkey, or Istanbul. If the Shroud were created in the 1300s in Europe, and has been in Europe since 1357, how did those spores get on it?

Rolf told us that the image on the Shroud is a crucified man, consistent with the gospel accounts of Jesus:

• The image was a crucified Jew, a mature adult
• The face had been beaten.
• The nose was broken, consistent with the victim falling while carrying the crossbeam.
• There were marks of puncture wounds consistent with the crown of thorns, which could have been 2 – 3 inches long
• The victim was scourged – the marks are there. Romans weren’t limited to 40 lashes. Lashes were distributed across the whole body, consistent with “punishment” but not execution.
• The victim in the image had marks in the wrist, consistent with being nailed to a cross. There is no thumb image on the Shroud. The thumb would have contracted.
• It was a criminal’s death but a rich person’s shroud. Compare Isaiah 53.

Rolf closed with thoughts on the importance of the Shroud of Turin to a Christian:

I told my kids that I was 7 before I had a TV. My kids were incredulous: “What did you do?” We listened to the radio and imagined…

It doesn’t matter if the Shroud is real. It helps us imagine. The crucifixion is the most documented event in history. And there’s no way 11 people would go to their death for a story that wasn’t true. We don’t need the cloth.

Crucifixion is an incredibly painful, inhumane form of execution. God could have sent Jesus at any time in history. But the emphasis is “no greater love.”

When you think about the shroud, focus on God’s love. God is saying, “I love you.” God wants to have fellowship with us and wants it so badly that he willing to put his son through this kind of death. John 3.16.

Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday are approaching. This is a time to focus on what Jesus did for us. It’s not enough to “believe” like the demons did. How strong is my faith? Commitment involves turning toward God, away from the world. Make that commitment. Look at the price he paid for you.

Jesus said:

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. (John 15.13 – 14, ESV)

Dr. Rolf Enger, speaking at Monument Community Presbyterian Church, March 20, 2024. Rolf was kind enough to check a draft of this blog for accuracy. Any remaining errors are my responsibility.

As we move into Holy Week, it’s useful to remember that Jesus died on the cross because none of us is good enough to save ourselves.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5.8, ESV)

I’m reminded of the memorial service for astronaut Jim Irwin. I’ve written about it before, but it’s worth retelling the main point. The service was preached by Nicky Cruz, former New York City gang member whose story was told in the book Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson. Here’s what Nicky said as best I can remember – I was there:

The miracle is not that I was saved by grace. I was a Puerto Rican street kid. I’ve killed people in gang warfare. I understand grace. I needed grace. The miracle is that Jim Irwin, a good, white, Baptist kid from Pittsburgh, understood grace. – Nicky Cruz at the memorial service for astronaut Jim Irwin

Paul summed it up:

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3.5 – 7, NIV)

I was processing with Ray Bandi the recent homegoing of friend and Navigator colleague Mike Schmid, who passed on his 72nd birthday, March 5 after a four or five-year battle with cancer. A complete obit is here, including the fact that he was able to speak to all of The Navigators Military Ministry staff in Dallas in November. An encouraging friend. A good man.

Anyway, back to my friend Ray who knew Mike when they were both at the Air Force Academy. Ray is class of ’72; Mike, ’74. Ray was talking about another Academy graduate who was in the Navigators’ ministry there, Gary Combs, class of ’69.

Ray said that Gary contracted a fatal disease in his 20s, not that long after graduation, and set up a reunion of Academy grads who had been in the Navigators ministry while they were students. This would have been in the early to mid-1970s, 50 years ago, and Ray still remembers clearly what Gary told them:

Don’t be sad for me. I know the Lord, and he used me. What more could a man ask? What more could a man ask? – Gary Combs, US Air Force Academy, Class of 1969, shortly before his death as a young man

I don’t know if Mike Schmid was at that meeting, but he would have said the same thing. “I know the Lord, and he used me…” for 50 years to disciple men who are following Jesus and discipling others. Mike’s was a life well-lived.

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. – Jim Elliot, journal entry, October 28, 1949.

Jim was killed in Ecuador by the very people he and four others were trying to reach, the Huaorani Indians of Ecuador, on January 8, 1956.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (The Apostle Paul, Philippians 1.21, ESV)

Sixth Sunday of Lent…and also Palm Sunday. But it’s hard to get excited about Palm Sunday because I think it’s quite likely that some of the crowds of the Triumphal Entry…

And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21.9 – 11, ESV)

…were among this crowd:

Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” (Matthew 27.20 – 23, ESV)

For sure, many, if not most, in the Palm Sunday crowd were erroneously expecting Jesus to lead a charge to overthrow the Romans. The disciples were still expecting that in Acts 1!

So let’s get right back to our Lenten meditations with stanzas 48 – 53 of George Herbert’s poem “The Sacrifice.” 

(The bullets allow me to single-space the lines.)

• They lead me in once more, and  putting then
• Mine own clothes on, they lead me out again.
• Whom devils fly, thus is he tossed of men:
•                                               Was ever grief like mine?

• And now weary of sport, glad to engross
• All spite in one, counting my life their loss,
• They carry me to my most bitter cross:
•                                               Was ever grief like mine?

• O all ye who pass by, behold and see;
• Man stole the fruit, but I must climb the tree;
• The tree of life to all, but only me:
•                                               Was ever grief like mine?

• Lo, here I hang, charged with a world of sin,
• The greater world o’ th’ two; for that came in
• By words, but this by sorrow I must win:
•                                               Was ever grief like mine?

• Such sorrow as, if sinful man could feel,
• Or feel his part, he would not cease to kneel.
• Till all were melted, though he were all steel:
•                                               Was ever grief like mine?

• But, O my God, my God! why leav’st thou me,
• The son, in whom  thou dost delight to be?
• My God, my God ——
•                                               Never was grief like mine. –“The Sacrifice” by George Herbert, stanzas 48 – 53.

And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. (Matthew 27.31, ESV)

And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. (Matthew 27.35 – 36, ESV)

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27.45 – 46, ESV)