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Word in the Wild is a one year Bible adventure with friends. Join from anywhere and enjoy a fun, rewarding, and doable 12-month journey through the Bible where you read it from cover to cover and understand it. It’s not a devotional or recap. It’s a guide by your side through God’s Word. With support from a weekly podcast and an online community of fellow travelers, this is the year when you finally explore the Bible in its own words and on its own terms for yourself.
This is Word and the Wild...a one year Bible adventure with friends. My name is Owen. I'm your host and your guide, and together we are on a 12 month journey as a podcast plus community...where we read the Bible for ourselves, but not by ourselves.
This is WEEK 26... We officially cross the half-way point in our journey this week. And it's like the continental divide in many ways as we encounter some major new storylines that stretch to the end of the Bible itself... and beyond. God's prophets stir up a storm this week.
So... hello and welcome in. And, a special welcome to our Word and the Wild PLUS community members. Their support of this non-profit endeavor is making space for all of us on this Bible reading adventure. As part of the Word and the Wild PLUS tribe, they enjoy access to our private, safe online space where no honest question is a dumb question... along with a weekly livestream Q&A, and bonus content like articles, interactions, meet-ups, and even some livestream teaching gatherings with yours truly.
If any of that sounds like your jam, then check the show notes for how to become a member yourself. Or get all the details over at wordandthewild.com.
Now with that... let's get a bit nostalgic here as we prepare to pull up stakes with the Israelites at the foot of storied Mt. Sinai....
Big trouble. Big hope. This week, God's prophets deliver his message to his people. And that message includes a view of the future that stretches from the immediate time and place of their audience all the way to the every end of time.
Every good story needs foreshadowing. And we are getting it. Emphasis on "shadow." In our epic adventure, the skies grow dark. But, there's a powerful, shining light behind the gathering storm.
Big things are happening. Shocking things. Surprising things. Unprecedented things. So big that we're going to have to use our imagination to try to get a handle on what's happening....
Ok? So... let's slow down here. If your driving or jogging, don't close your eyes. But, if you're sitting in a comfortable chair like I am, then go ahead and close them. Let's drift in...
Imagine with me, for a moment. I'm going to try to put us inside a strange place to help us understand the strange place we are in the Bible's story right now.
It's not a scary place. It's a bit surreal. But, you don't have worry. No jump scares. I promise.
So, here we go.
Imagine that you've been asleep. You slept well. You feel great. But, you don't know where you are... exactly. You smell salty air... heavy with moisture. You hear what you think might be seagulls.
You open your eyes. It's dark. You realize you're lying on a cot of some kind. You sit up and swing your feet to the floor. Sand. You feel sand between your toes.
Sand? Salt air? Seagulls?
Your eyes have adjusted a bit. You now see that you're in a large, round canvas tent. It's mostly dark, but there's a row of tiny windows near where the walls and roof of the tent meet. Pink light gently pushes through the windows and into your tent. Sunrise.
It's peaceful. You hear waves. It's subtle, but it's there. The birds. The soft air and the sand. You must be near the water. It must be the beach. Other than sitting in this strange tent, it's pleasant.
You sit like this for quite a while. Then... something strange happens. Out of nowhere, something pops against the side of the tent behind you. You turn, and there's now a dime-sized hole in the canvas wall about six feet away from you. A small, but strong beam of light hits your eyes.
You walk to the hole. If you tip toe and squint, you can look through it. Like a keyhole.
What you see confirms your guess. You're on the beach. Not far from the water. Though the tiny whole, you even see a few sailboats out on the water.
Then. POP. Another hole in the tent on the opposite side. When you look through that whole, you can see that there's more beach and ocean on that side, too. You're on a very small tropical island. More ocean. More sailboats. And maybe another few small islands way out there.
POP. POP. POP. More holes and now there's more light in the tent. Then, one side of the tent rips open, giving you a wider view. There's a storm picking up. The wind sends the sides of the tear flapping and snapping. There are lots of tiny islands out in the water, much like yours. Some are far away. Some are close enough that you can see other people on them. Other tents like yours.
Then, you see it. There's a tall watchtower in the middle of your island. Like they use to spot forest fires. If you climb it, you'll get a better view. So you climb. Up. Up. Up. The view is worth it.
There's a sweeping 360 degree view and you can see for miles. Your initial impression that you were on a peaceful beach far away from the cares of the world isn't correct. The ocean is dotted with islands. Some are small like yours. Others are quite large with villages and even harbors. Boats criss-cross the busy waterway. It even looks like some of the larger islands are sending ships with soldiers to the smaller ones to attack them.
That worries you. But what worries you even more is what you see out on the horizon. Thick black clouds build with a frightening speed. The wind picks up and blows in your face. The palm trees bend and sway. It's a cold wind. And it's picking up speed.
The waves start to churn. You look down at the ground below. Your canvas tent falls in a heap and tumbles toward the water like a broken toy.
A storm's coming. You can see it. You can feel it.
And you can't do a thing about it. You realize that you better find shelter and hope it holds up until the storm blows over.
-----
There are others. They aren't friendly.
And we all live on the shores of an angry, stormy sea.
But there's a future after the storm. Beyond the threatening neighbors and the storm building on the horizon, there is hope.
This is where we are in the epic story of the Bible. God's people have been living in a small tent on the beach. We've been right along with them.
We've always known there are others out there. Other islands. Other people groups. But, we've been staying in this tent. It hasn't all been like a beach vacation. But, it's been safe, dry, and predictable.
It's been wild at times. But, in a predictable kind of way.
But here recently someone's been poking holes in our cozy tent. It's God's messengers. The prophets. And through those holes we begin to see there's a big world out there.
The Israelites are just one tiny island it a vast, busy, stormy ocean.
Listen to these words from God's prophet, Amos. They hit with a force that rips a huge gash in the side of our little tent:
“The Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, touches the land and it melts, and all its people mourn. The ground rises like the Nile River at floodtime, and then it sinks again.
The LORD’s home reaches up to the heavens, while its foundation is on the earth. He draws up water from the oceans and pours it down as rain on the land. The LORD is his name!
“Are you Israelites more important to me than the Ethiopians?” asks the LORD. “I brought Israel out of Egypt, but I also brought the Philistines from Crete and led the Arameans out of Kir.
“I, the Sovereign LORD, am watching this sinful nation of Israel. I will destroy it from the face of the earth. But I will never completely destroy the family of Israel,” says the LORD.
“For I will give the command and will shake Israel along with the other nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, yet not one true kernel will be lost.
But all the sinners will die by the sword— all those who say, ‘Nothing bad will happen to us.’”
(Amos 9:5–10 NLT)
Like a flood. Like an earthquake. The judgement of the all-powerful creator God is on its way.
We are not alone. There are neighboring islands. There are other nations and people out there. And not all of them are friendly. Philistines? Arameans? These people groups have been Israel's enemies for centuries. But now we learn that they weren't obstales in God's plans for the world. They been PART of his plan all along. He's been guiding their path through history in the same way he's been guiding the Israelites. All of them are loved and cared for by God. If you are the Israelites, that's a concerning thought. After all....aren't we God's chosen people?
But, the real worry is that a storm is brewing. God is stirring up the waves and the wind. It's a hurricane. And God's the one who is sending it. It's going to be a doosey. And no one is safe. The nation of Israel will be destroyed. But, the people of Israel will survive. If only a few of them. Only the real ones.
That's another unsettling thought. Who are the "real" ones? The ones Amos calls "true kernals" who are sifted like grain. Separated out from all the chaff?
These are the questions God's messengers are here to help answer.
Prophets like Amos, Micah, and Isaiah sound off like storm sirens. They are blaring. Loud. And unsettling. But they're just the messengers. You can silence your notifications, but that won't stop the storm.
It's best to listen.
Hunker down... but hold on to hope. Things might get bad. Things might get dark. But, this storm will not end this story.
See... It is in the middle of this dark, gloomy forecast that we also find some of the most incredible statements of hope ever uttered. Some of the shining moments in all of the story of the Bible.
Take, for example, these inspiring words of hope that we see from Isaiah this week. Listen. Let them warm your heart and strengthen your knocking knees:
“Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. They will be thrown out into the darkness.
Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever.... There will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder.
For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders....
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.”
(Isaiah 8:20–9:7 NLT)
"Nevertheless." Has there ever been a more beautiful word?
Dark. Despair. Anger. Hunger. Rebellion. Rage. A world engulfed by anguish.
Nevertheless.... things won't stay that way. into that hungry, dark, wounded world a light will shine.
A little baby boy will be born. And he will take on the weight of leadership for our festering and frustrated world. He will sit on the throne of David and nothing will dislodge him. He will be king for all of us. "For all eternity."
This week... be warned. Be careful. Be shocked. And... be on the lookout. Because... beyond the storms... far out on the horizon, there is hope.
Big trouble. Big hope.
OUTRO
And just like that, we're ready to hit the trail.
Word and the Wild is a one year Bible adventure with friends. I'm loving it and I hope you are, too.
All you Word and the Wild PLUS community members, I'll be seeing you in THE WILD... our private online community space. Everyone else, don't be a stranger. Subscribe to this podcast and follow Word and the Wild on Facebook for some interaction there.
Word and the Wild is a LineHouse Community. It's part of the LineHouse Community Network, a nonprofit organization with a mission to bring neighbors together to promote awareness, appreciation, and understanding of the Bible.
Because friendship and God's Word change lives and change cities.
And... presented by the LumaVoz podcast network.
And with that, we're out. I'm Owen, I'm your host and your guide. Until next time, I'll see you out there on the trail in the Word and the Wild.