Ethics / The Valley of Trouble
Posted by: forthright <forthright@...>
http://www.forthright.net
Going straight to the Cross
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CONTENTS:
"Ethics," by Emmett Smith
The Valley of Trouble, by J. Randal Matheny
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COLUMN: Understanding the Times
"Ethics"
by Emmett Smith
This just in! Some organization called the World
Technology Network has issued to Peter Singer,
professor of bioethics at Princeton University,
the 2003 World Technology Award for Ethics. Now, I
don't know just what these folks consider ethical,
but the guy they've honored with this award is
infamous for his contention that newborn babies up
to 28 days old should be put to death if their
life is deemed substandard due to some diagnosed
"disability."
It's not too difficult to see where that
philosophy is headed, is it? Don't you know that
"the one who has the power of death," as stated in
Hebrews 2:14, is chortling? He's already got us
putting, on average, 3,500 per month to death in
the name of "choice." Now the prospect of untold
thousands of additional innocents slaughtered must
be highly pleasurable to the evil one. Of course,
Singer, et. al., don't at all mean to stop with
infants. If they have their way, any, of any age,
who are judged "unfit" (read inconvenient), will
be killed. Singer also has been very influential
among the so-called animal rights activists, and
believes animals should be valued as highly as
humans. Of course, all these ideas are really only
the logical outcome of belief in naturalistic
humanism's denial of God.
How ironic that our Lord defeated the evil one
with his own weapon! Hebrews 2:14 (ESV) says,
"Since therefore the children share in flesh and
blood, he himself likewise partook of the same
things, that through death he might destroy the
one who has the power of death, that is, the
devil."
The evil one uses death as his primary tool. He
knows that once he succeeds in getting us to
embrace a culture of death, his company in hell
will be increased proportionately.
Jesus, on the other hand, came "that they may have
life and have it abundantly," according to John
10:10 (ESV). The contrast should be eye-opening. A
culture of death versus the abundant life. Hmmm
... I wonder which I should choose ...
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COLUMN: Final Phase
The Valley of Trouble
by J. Randal Matheny
At Jericho, Achan's eyes were filled with the
spoils of war. Instead of total destruction, this
son of Judah hid a beautiful Shinar mantle with
shekels of gold and silver in his tent. Because of
his sin, the small city of Ai defeated Israel and
brought death and mourning upon God's blessed
people.
Once Achan was discovered, Israel took him and his
family with the banned goods and all he owned to
the Valley of Trouble (Achor). Joshua said to him,
"Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble
you this day" (Josh. 7:25).
With that, they stoned Achan and, for good
measure, burned them. They raised over him a great
heap of stones as a memorial. By Israel's action,
"the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger.
Therefore the name of that place has been called
the valley of Achor to this day" (v. 26).
Centuries later, Hosea delivers his messages of
repentance to wayward Israel, as God passes the
divine sentence upon her,
"'I will punish her for the days of the Baals
When she used to offer sacrifices to them
And adorn herself with her earrings and jewelry,
And follow her lovers, so that she forgot Me,'
declares the Lord." Hosea 2:13
This very punishment would be Israel's opportunity
for restoration. Using the memory of the terrible
experience with Achan, Hosea mentions the Valley
of Achor as the place of punishment, but also as
the place of a new beginning.
"Then I will give her ... the valley of Achor as a
door of hope" (Hosea 2:15a, NASU).
Israel's Valley of Trouble would be exile at the
hands of the Assyrians. In fact, the northern
kingdom would cease to exist, except for a remnant
which would join itself to Judah. By that
experience, the spiritual adultery of idolatry
would be purged from the people.
Hosea says God will reverse Israel's fortunes. He
will turn his people around. It will be a painful,
"troubling" process, but it will also be where the
Lord's anger will be turned away. The Valley of
Trouble becomes the Door of Opportunity.
Many of us have been to the Valley of Trouble.
God uncovers in our lives some banned goods, some
unclean thing, some filthy practice. And he brings
us defeat because of it, as Israel experienced at
Ai.
He will let us go no further until we have dealt
with it. Until we have expelled it from our lives,
stoned it, burned it.
But when we recognize the trouble it has brought
us and rid ourselves of it, we will find his anger
turned away, and his blessing returned.
Our Valley of Trouble becomes the Door of
Opportunity.
And Achor becomes the metaphor by which we learn
to respect the holiness of God, to enter into the
sacred mission of his people, and to return to our
first and only Love.
"And she will sing there as in the days of her
youth,
As in the day when she came up from the land of
Egypt."
Hosea 2:15b