PURSUING HAPPINESS

3.1 Everything in moderation

3.1.1 Dressed to kill

[This chapter is presented in outline format. Please see the Preface.]

For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. (I John 2:16)

And even now in your holy festivals, you don’t think about me but only of pleasing yourselves. (Zech 7:6)

And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do. (I Tim 2:9-10)

Next the LORD will judge the women of Jerusalem, who walk around with their noses in the air, with tinkling ornaments on their ankles. Their eyes rove among the crowds, flirting with the men. The Lord will send a plague of scabs to ornament their heads. Yes, the LORD will make them bald for all to see!
The Lord will strip away their artful beauty--their ornaments, headbands, and crescent necklaces; their earrings, bracelets, and veils of shimmering gauze. Gone will be their scarves, ankle chains, sashes, perfumes, and charms; their rings, jewels, party clothes, gowns, capes, and purses; their mirrors, linen garments, head ornaments, and shawls. Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, they will stink. They will wear ropes for sashes, and their well-set hair will fall out. They will wear rough sackcloth instead of rich robes. Their beauty will be gone. Only shame will be left to them. (Isa 3:16-24)

“Do not wear clothing made of wool and linen woven together. (Deut 22:11)

They must neither let their hair grow too long nor shave it off completely. Instead, they must trim it regularly. (Ezek 44:20)

Make special clothing for Aaron to show his separation to God--beautiful garments that will lend dignity to his work. Instruct all those who have special skills as tailors to make the garments that will set Aaron apart from everyone else, so he may serve me as a priest. (Exod 28:2-3)

And David danced before the LORD with all his might, wearing a priestly tunic. (II Sam 6:14)

What do you yourselves really think about this? Is it right for a woman to pray in public without covering her head? Doesn’t even instinct itself teach us that women’s heads should be covered? For women are proud of their long hair, while a man with long hair tends to be ashamed. (I Cor 11:13-15)

You shall not cut yourselves nor put tattoo marks upon yourselves in connection with funeral rites; I am the Lord. (Lev 19:28)

Some will proudly claim, ‘I belong to the LORD.’ Others will say, ‘I am a descendant of Jacob.’ Some will write the LORD’s name on their hands and will take the honored name of Israel as their own. (Isa 44:5)

“Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for a child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on my hand. Ever before me is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins. (Isa 49:15-16)

I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, and beautiful necklaces, a ring for your nose and earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head. (Ezek 16:11-12)

3.1.2 The obesity epidemic

When he had finished, David blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. Then he gave a gift of food to every man and woman in Israel: a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. Then everyone went home. (II Sam 6:18-19)

Then show these rebels an illustration; give them a message from the Sovereign LORD. Put a pot of water on the fire to boil. Fill it with choice meat--the rump and the shoulder and all the most tender cuts. Use only the best sheep from the flock and heap fuel on the fire beneath the pot. Bring the pot to a boil, and cook the bones along with the meat. (Ezek 24:3-5)

“Now go and get some wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and mix them together in a storage jar. Use this food to make bread…” (Ezek 4:9)

Each day prepare your bread as you would barley cakes. While all the people are watching, bake it over a fire using dried human dung as fuel and then eat the bread. (Ezek 4:12)

“All right,” the LORD said. “You may bake your bread with cow dung instead of human dung.” (Ezek 4:15)

And he lifts the poor from the dirt and the needy from the garbage dump. (Psalms 113:7)

I will see to it that your enemies lay siege to the city until all the food is gone. Then those trapped inside will have to eat their own sons and daughters and friends. They will be driven to utter despair. (Jer 19:9)

“O LORD, think about this!” Jerusalem cries. “You are doing this to your own people! Should mothers eat their little children, those they once bounced on their knees? Should priests and prophets die within the Lord’s Temple?” (Lam 2:20)

Tenderhearted women have cooked their own children and eaten them in order to survive the siege. (Lam 4:10)

So they gathered there and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the LORD. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the LORD. So it was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge. (I Sam 7:6)

All the people wept again for Abner. David had refused to eat anything the day of the funeral, and now everyone begged him to eat. But David had made a vow, saying, “May God kill me if I eat anything before sundown.” This pleased the people very much. In fact, everything the king did pleased them! So everyone in Judah and Israel knew that David was not responsible for Abner’s death. (II Sam 3:34-37)

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: The traditional fasts and times of mourning you have kept in early summer, midsummer, autumn, and winter are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for the people of Judah. So love truth and peace. (Zech 8:19)

Afterwards the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast that demon out?”

“Because of your little faith,” Jesus told them. “For if you had faith even as small as a tiny mustard seed you could say to this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would go far away. Nothing would be impossible. But this kind of demon won’t leave unless you have prayed and gone without food.” (Matt 17:19-21)

Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Give the following instructions to the Israelites: The animals you may use for food include those that have completely divided hooves and chew the cud. You may not, however, eat the animals named here because they either have split hooves or chew the cud, but not both. The camel may not be eaten, for though it chews the cud, it does not have split hooves. The same is true of the rock badger and the hare, so they also may never be eaten. And the pig may not be eaten, for though it has split hooves, it does not chew the cud.” (Lev 11:1-7)

The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the city, Peter went up to the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, and he was hungry. But while lunch was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.”
“Never, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never in all my life eaten anything forbidden by our Jewish laws.”
The voice spoke again, “If God says something is acceptable, don’t say it isn’t.” The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was pulled up again to heaven. (Acts 10:9-16)

For I was envious of the prosperity of the proud and wicked. Yes, all through life their road is smooth! They grow sleek and fat. (Psalms 73:3-4)

The good man eats to live, while the evil man lives to eat. (Proverbs 13:25)

I myself will tend my sheep and cause them to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign LORD. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes--feed them justice! (Ezek 34:15-16)

For instance, take the matter of eating. God has given us an appetite for food and stomachs to digest it. But that doesn’t mean we should eat more than we need. Don’t think of eating as important, because some day God will do away with both stomachs and food… (I Cor 6:13)

So I approached him and asked him to give me the little scroll. “Yes, take it and eat it,” he said. “At first it will taste like honey, but when you swallow it, it will make your stomach sour!” So I took the little scroll from the hands of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but it made my stomach sour. Then he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.” (Rev 10:9-11)

3.2 Mental and physical health care

3.2.1 The importance of counseling

“We have found from experience that all this is true. Listen to my counsel, and apply it to yourself.” (Job 5:27)

My brother, you have proved as unreliable as a seasonal brook that overflows its banks in the spring when it is swollen with ice and melting snow. But when the hot weather arrives, the water disappears. The brook vanishes in the heat. (Job 6:15-17)

Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the clan of Ram, became angry. He was angry because Job refused to admit that he had sinned and that God was right in punishing him. He was also angry with Job’s three friends because they had condemned God by their inability to answer Job’s arguments. (Job 32:2-3)

Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren’t contaminated by their sins. (Jude 1:23)

And the LORD did as Moses asked and caused the swarms to disappear. Not a single fly remained in the land! But Pharaoh hardened his heart again and refused to let the people go. (Exod 8:31-32)

“I am disgusted with my life. Let me complain freely. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say to God, ‘Don’t simply condemn me--tell me the charge you are bringing against me.’” (Job 10:1-2)

“Why didn’t I die at birth as I came from the womb? Why did my mother let me live? Why did she nurse me at her breasts? For if I had died at birth, I would be at peace now, asleep and at rest.” (Job 3:11-13)

“I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me--I despise my life.” (Job 9:21)

“Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “utterly meaningless!”
What do people get for all their hard work? Generations come and go, but nothing really changes. The sun rises and sets and hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south and north, here and there, twisting back and forth, getting nowhere. The rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows again to the sea. Everything is so weary and tiresome! No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. (Eccles 1:2-8)

Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah had been telling the people. He was saying, “This is what the LORD says: Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. The LORD also says: The city of Jerusalem will surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.”
So these officials went to the king and said, “Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people, too. This man is a traitor!” (Jer 38:1-4)

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. (Lam 3:21-22)

If you warn them and they keep on sinning and refuse to repent, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved your life because you did what you were told to do. (Ezek 3:19)

In this meaningless life, I have seen everything, including the fact that some good people die young and some wicked people live on and on. So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either--don’t be a fool! Why should you die before your time? So try to walk a middle course--but those who fear God will succeed either way. (Eccles 7:15-18)

You have discouraged the righteous with your lies, when I didn’t want them to suffer grief. And you have encouraged the wicked by promising them life, even though they continue in their sins. (Ezek 13:22)

We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every other way. We can make a large horse turn around and go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong. So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself. (Jas 3:2-6)

Fathers, don’t aggravate your children. If you do, they will become discouraged and quit trying. (Col 3:21)

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in him. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world. Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of judgment, and this shows that his love has not been perfected in us. We love each other as a result of his loving us first. (I John 4:16-19)

And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a large bronze washbasin with a bronze pedestal. Put it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water. Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there before they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the LORD and before they approach the altar to burn offerings to the LORD. They must always wash before ministering in these ways, or they will die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and his descendants, to be kept from generation to generation.” (Exod 30:17-21)

Yet they say to each other, ‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!’ They are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away. (Isa 65:5)

3.2.2 Suicide: The worst that could happen

Then Samson prayed to the LORD, “Sovereign LORD, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me one more time so that I may pay back the Philistines for the loss of my eyes.” Then Samson put his hands on the center pillars of the temple and pushed against them with all his might. “Let me die with the Philistines,” he prayed. And the temple crashed down on the Philistine leaders and all the people. So he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire lifetime. (Judg 16:28-30)

The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely. Saul groaned to his armor bearer, “Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines run me through and humiliate me.” But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king. (I Sam 31:3-5)

Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me and die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.”
The Jewish leaders asked, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?” (John 8:21-22)

“Brothers, it was necessary for the Scriptures to be fulfilled concerning Judas, who guided the Temple police to arrest Jesus. This was predicted long ago by the Holy Spirit, speaking through King David. Judas was one of us, chosen to share in the ministry with us.”
(Judas bought a field with the money he received for his treachery, and falling there, he burst open, spilling out his intestines. The news of his death spread rapidly among all the people of Jerusalem, and they gave the place the Aramaic name Akeldama, which means “Field of Blood.”) (Acts 1:16-19)

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down--when we die and leave these bodies--we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long for the day when we will put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will not be spirits without bodies, but we will put on new heavenly bodies. Our dying bodies make us groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and have no bodies at all. We want to slip into our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by everlasting life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. That is why we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So our aim is to please him always, whether we are here in this body or away from this body. (II Cor 5:1-9)

3.2.3 Medical treatment rights

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Even when the disease became life threatening, he did not seek the LORD’s help but sought help only from his physicians. So he died in the forty-first year of his reign. (II Chr 16:12-13)

“When you sacrifice a peace offering to the LORD, offer it properly so it will be accepted on your behalf. You must eat it on the same day you offer it or on the next day at the latest. Any leftovers that remain until the third day must be burned. If any of the offering is eaten on the third day, it will be contaminated, and I will not accept it. If you eat it on the third day, you will answer for the sin of profaning what is holy to the LORD and must be cut off from the community.” (Lev 19:5-8)

But when the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, their warriors traveled all night to Beth-shan and took the bodies of Saul and his sons down from the wall. They brought them to Jabesh, where they burned the bodies. (I Sam 31:11-12)

If you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat! (Proverbs 20:13)

Liquor is for the dying, and wine for those in deep depression. Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their troubles no more. (Proverbs 31:6-7)

“Show your fear of God by treating the deaf with respect and by not taking advantage of the blind. I am the LORD.” (Lev 19:14)

When they arrived in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported on what God had been doing through their ministry. But then some of the men who had been Pharisees before their conversion stood up and declared that all Gentile converts must be circumcised and be required to follow the law of Moses. So the apostles and church elders got together to decide this question. At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe. God, who knows people’s hearts, confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he gave him to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he also cleansed their hearts through faith. Why are you now questioning God’s way by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the special favor of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 15:4-11)

“A time is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will punish all those who are circumcised in body but not in spirit--the Egyptians, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, the people who live in distant places, and yes, even the people of Judah. Like all these pagan nations, the people of Israel also have uncircumcised hearts.” (Jer 9:25-26)

And there was a woman in the crowd who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years. She had spent everything she had on doctors and still could find no cure. (Luke 8:43)

3.3 Celebrating biblical secularism

3.3.1 Extreme sports and rock and roll

David also ordered the Levite leaders to appoint a choir of Levites who were singers and musicians to sing joyful songs to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. (I Chr 15:16)

Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. (Acts 16:25)

O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. (Jer 18:6)

He also placed the incense altar in the Tabernacle, in the Holy Place in front of the inner curtain. On it he burned the fragrant incense made from sweet spices, just as the LORD had commanded. (Exod 40:26-27)

The LORD said to me, “Make a yoke, and fasten it on your neck with leather thongs. Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors to King Zedekiah in Jerusalem. Give them this message for their masters: ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: By my great power I have made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose. Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control. All the nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until his time is up. But then many nations and great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon. So you must submit to Babylon’s king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon’s yoke! I will punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the LORD. I will send war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it…Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it. And Hananiah said again to the crowd that had gathered, “The LORD has promised that within two years he will break the yoke of oppression from all the nations now subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.” At that, Jeremiah left the Temple area. Soon afterward the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the LORD says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron. The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, forcing them into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.’ “ Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, but the people believe your lies. Therefore, the LORD says you must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the LORD.” Two months later, Hananiah died. (Jer 27:2-8,28:10-17)

“So now put on a demonstration to show them what it will be like to go off into exile. Pack whatever you can carry on your back and leave your home to go on a journey. Make your preparations in broad daylight so the people can see you, for perhaps they will even yet consider what this means, even though they are such rebels. Bring your baggage outside during the day so they can watch you. Then as they are watching, leave your house in the evening, just as captives do when they begin a long march to distant lands. Dig a hole through the wall while they are watching and carry your possessions out through it. As they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night. Cover your face and don’t look around. All of these actions will be a sign for the people of Israel.” (Ezek 12:3-6)

Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. (I Cor 9:24-27)

The people from Zanoah, led by Hanun, rebuilt the Valley Gate, hung its doors, and installed the bolts and bars. They also repaired the fifteen hundred feet of wall to the Dung Gate. The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, the leader of the Beth-hakkerem district. After rebuilding it, he hung the doors and installed the bolts and bars. (Neh 3:13-14)

The remaining tribes of Israel inherited land in Canaan as allotted by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribal leaders. These nine and a half tribes received their inheritance by means of sacred lots, in accordance with the LORD’s command through Moses. (Josh 14:1-2)

3.3.2 Excellent adventures

“Go up and attack those self-sufficient nomadic tribes,” says the LORD. “They live alone in the desert without walls or gates. Their camels and cattle will all be yours. I will scatter to the winds these people who live in distant places. I will bring calamity upon them from every direction,” says the LORD. (Jer 49:31-32)

Measuring as he went, he led me along the stream for 1,750 feet and told me to go across. At that point the water was up to my ankles. He measured off another 1,750 feet and told me to go across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to cross without swimming. (Ezek 47:3-5)

Then this message came to me from the LORD: “Son of man, sing a funeral song for Tyre, that mighty gateway to the sea, the trading center of the world. Give Tyre this message from the Sovereign LORD: You claimed, O Tyre, to be perfect in beauty. You extended your boundaries into the sea. Your builders made you glorious! You were like a great ship built of the finest cypress from Senir. They took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. They carved oars for you from the oaks of Bashan. They made your deck of pine wood, brought from the southern coasts of Cyprus. Then they inlaid it with ivory. Your sails were made of Egypt’s finest linen, and they flew as a banner above you. You stood beneath blue and purple awnings made bright with dyes from the coasts of Elishah.” (Ezek 27:1-7)

“Now then, I will reveal the truth to you. Three more Persian kings will reign, to be succeeded by a fourth, far richer than the others. Using his wealth for political advantage, he will stir up everyone to war against the kingdom of Greece.” (Dan 11:1-2)

I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can send me on my way again. (Rom 15:24)

“Just ask the former generation. Pay attention to the experience of our ancestors. For we were born but yesterday and know so little. Our days on earth are as transient as a shadow. But those who came before us will teach you. They will teach you from the wisdom of former generations.” (Job 8:8-10)

Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these accusations true?”
This was Stephen’s reply: “Brothers and honorable fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he moved to Haran. God told him, ‘Leave your native land and your relatives, and come to the land that I will show you.’ So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live… (Acts 7:1-4)

“The God of this nation of Israel chose our ancestors and made them prosper in Egypt. Then he powerfully led them out of their slavery. He put up with them through forty years of wandering around in the wilderness. Then he destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to Israel as an inheritance…” (Acts 13:17-19)

Everything is so weary and tiresome! No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. What can you point to that is new? How do you know it didn’t already exist long ago? We don’t remember what happened in those former times. And in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now. (Eccles 1:8-11)

3.3.3 The net and Yahoo

Then the Spirit of the LORD took possession of Gideon. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him. He also sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, summoning their warriors, and all of them responded. (Judg 6:34-35)

Then I explained to the nobles and officials and all the people, “The work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!” (Neh 4:19-20)

And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega--the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give the springs of the water of life without charge! (Rev 21:6)

As Hilkiah the high priest was recording the money collected at the LORD’s Temple, he found the Book of the Law of the LORD as it had been given through Moses. Hilkiah said to Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the LORD’s Temple!” Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan. (II Chr 34:14-15)

But it was at the fortress at Ecbatana in the province of Media that a scroll was found. This is what it said:
“Memorandum:
“In the first year of King Cyrus’s reign, a decree was sent out concerning the Temple of God at Jerusalem. It must be rebuilt on the site where Jews used to offer their sacrifices, retaining the original foundations. Its height will be ninety feet, and its width will be ninety feet. (Ezra 6:2-3)

These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the advisers of King Hezekiah of Judah. (Proverbs 25:1)

So Baruch explained, “Jeremiah dictated them to me word by word, and I wrote down his words with ink on this scroll.”
“You and Jeremiah should both hide,” the officials told Baruch. “Don’t tell anyone where you are!” Then the officials left the scroll for safekeeping in the room of Elishama the secretary and went to tell the king. (Jer 36:18-20)

So they asked the baby’s father, communicating to him by making gestures. He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John!” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God. (Luke 1:62-64)

“On that day I will purify the lips of all people, so that everyone will be able to worship the LORD together.” (Zeph 3:9)

3.3.4 Beautiful minds

And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God. There were 144,000 who were sealed from all the tribes of Israel: (Rev 7:4)

It is the LORD who created the stars, the Pleiades and Orion. It is he who turns darkness into morning and day into night. It is he who draws up water from the oceans and pours it down as rain on the land. The LORD is his name! (Amos 5:8)

On that day the sources of light will no longer shine, yet there will be continuous day! Only the LORD knows how this could happen! There will be no normal day and night, for at evening time it will still be light. (Zech 14:6-7)

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. (Heb 11:3)

As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between them, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. (II Kgs 2:11)

Isaiah replied, “This is the sign that the LORD will give you to prove he will do as he promised. Would you like the shadow on the sundial to go forward ten steps or backward ten steps?”
“The shadow always moves forward,” Hezekiah replied. “Make it go backward instead.” So Isaiah asked the LORD to do this, and he caused the shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz! (II Kgs 20:9-11)

I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice; and there will be one flock with one shepherd. (John 10:16)

These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. The purpose of these proverbs is to teach people wisdom and discipline, and to help them understand wise sayings. Through these proverbs, people will receive instruction in discipline, good conduct, and doing what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will make the simpleminded clever. They will give knowledge and purpose to young people. Let those who are wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. And let those who understand receive guidance by exploring the depth of meaning in these proverbs, parables, wise sayings, and riddles. Fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline. (Proverbs 1:1-7)

3.4 Sacred democratic freedoms

3.4.1 Free speech and elections

Suppose a case arises in a local court that is too hard for you to decide--for instance, whether someone is guilty of murder or only of manslaughter, or a difficult lawsuit, or a case involving different kinds of assault. Take such cases to the place the LORD your God will choose, where the Levitical priests and the judge on duty will hear the case and decide what to do. The decision they make at the place the LORD chooses will always stand. You must do exactly what they say. (Deut 17:8-10)

As David and his party passed Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, a member of Saul’s family. He threw stones at the king and the king’s officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded them. “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” he shouted at David. “The LORD is paying you back for murdering Saul and his family. You stole his throne, and now the LORD has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, you murderer!”
“Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?” Abishai son of Zeruiah demanded. “Let me go over and cut off his head!”
“No!” the king said. “What am I going to do with you sons of Zeruiah! If the LORD has told him to curse me, who am I to stop him?” (II Sam 16:5-10)

As the time of King David’s death approached, he gave this charge to his son Solomon: …”And remember Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me with a terrible curse as I was fleeing to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I swore by the LORD that I would not kill him. But that oath does not make him innocent. You are a wise man, and you will know how to arrange a bloody death for him.” (I Kgs 2:1,8-9)

“Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin, ‘This is what the LORD says: Do not fight against your relatives, the Israelites. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!’ “ So they obeyed the message of the LORD and went home, as the LORD had commanded. (I Kgs 12:23-24)

These tribal leaders, heads of their own families, were chosen from among all the people. (Num 1:16)

3.4.2 The right to representation

I, Daniel, was troubled by all I had seen, and my visions terrified me. So I approached one of those standing beside the throne and asked him what it all meant. He explained it to me like this: “These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.” (Dan 7:15-18)

When the Most High assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of angelic beings. (Deut 32:8)

One day in midspring, during the second year after Israel’s departure from Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai. He said, “Take a census of the whole community of Israel by their clans and families. List the names of all the men twenty years old or older who are able to go to war. You and Aaron are to direct the project, assisted by one family leader from each tribe.” (Num 1:1-4)

Joab reported the number of people to the king. There were 800,000 men of military age in Israel and 500,000 in Judah. But after he had taken the census, David’s conscience began to bother him. And he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly and shouldn’t have taken the census. Please forgive me, LORD, for doing this foolish thing.” (II Sam 24:9-10)

Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the Israelites. David gave these orders to Joab and his commanders: “Take a census of all the people in the land--from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north--and bring me the totals so I may know how many there are.” (I Chr 21:1-2)

3.4.3 Freedom of the (liberal?) press

So they went back to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human--except to Your Majesty--will be thrown to the lions?”
“Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is a law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”
Then they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is paying no attention to you or your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.”
Hearing this, the king was very angry with himself for signing the law, and he tried to find a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament. In the evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty knows that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.”
So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. (Dan 6:12-16)

The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from Elishama’s room and read it to the king as all his officials stood by. It was late autumn, and the king was in a winterized part of the palace, sitting in front of a fire to keep warm. Whenever Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king took his knife and cut off that section of the scroll. He then threw it into the fire, section by section, until the whole scroll was burned up. Neither the king nor his officials showed any signs of fear or repentance at what they heard. Even when Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, he wouldn’t listen.
Then the king commanded his son Jerahmeel, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah. But the LORD had hidden them. After the king had burned Jeremiah’s scroll, the LORD gave Jeremiah another message. He said, “Get another scroll, and write everything again just as you did on the scroll King Jehoiakim burned.” (Jer 36:21-28)

Other seeds fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades. But some seeds fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!” (Matt 13:7-9)