Tag Bible

Elam’s Archers

Todd R Leave a comment

Ideas for blog posts come from all sorts of sources.  Sermons, memories, books.  But most often they come from Bible study.  I nearly always use a study Bible and read all of its notes as I go, while also making my own notes.  This post’s inspiration comes from a study Bible note that just said “Elam is famous for its archers,”[1] in reference to Jeremiah 49:35, which says:

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might.””

The verse is a small part of a long section in Jeremiah where God speaks about His judgement on many nations, as a comfort to the Israelites who were about to go into exile.  The message is: in the long run, God’s people will be redeemed, but their enemies will be judged.

What do Elam’s archers have to do with this?  After reading the “Elam is famous for its archers” note I realized that nation by nation, God’s judgement focuses on the things that the nation took pride in.  His judgement fits the crime; it isn’t just arbitrary.  In Elam’s case, they believed their superior archers were the source of their strength.  They trusted in their archers, not God, and so God would “break the bow.”  Their archers would be helpless against judgement.

Consider also these other examples, from the same chapter of Jeremiah:

Jeremiah announced God’s judgement on Edom, descendants of Jacob’s brother Esau.  They had a longstanding grudge against God’s people, and they rejoiced when Jerusalem eventually fell to Babylon (see the book of Obadiah).  In Edom’s case, Jeremiah said:

“For behold, I will make you small among the nations,
despised among mankind.
The horror you inspire has deceived you,
and the pride of your heart,
you who live in the clefts of the rock,
who hold the height of the hill.
Though you make your nest as high as the eagle’s,
I will bring you down from there,
declares the LORD.”[2]

Petra. Photo by Juanma Clemente-Alloza on Unsplash

Elam took pride in their archers; Edom took pride in their natural defenses.  Edom thought physical protection was their strength and could save them from judgment.  They had fortresses built right into the rocks of the mountains, apparently including the one now known as Petra (pictured).  In addition, by being in the mountains, they had the military advantage of fighting from higher ground, with their “nest as high as the eagle’s.”  But these defenses were overcome by Babylon.

Jeremiah also had a message “Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck down.”[3]  Jeremiah doesn’t recount the sins of Kedar and Hazor, but only that Babylon was used as an instrument of judgement against them.  These two people groups were nomadic tribes, moving about rather than settling primarily in cities.  So, how does God judge them?  Jeremiah 49:29 tells us:

“Their tents and their flocks shall be taken,
their curtains and all their goods;
their camels shall be led away from them,
and men shall cry to them: ‘Terror on every side!’”

Without cities, the markers of wealth for these unsettled people were probably their tents and flocks and camels.  These are what the nations of Kedar and Hazor would take pride in, but God in His judgement would take them away.  Repeatedly in these prophecies, God strikes specifically the things those nations have pride in.

Judah was not immune.  They thought their alliance with Egypt would save them from conquest by Babylon.  However, Babylon over time defeated both Assyria, who had conquered Israel, and Egypt, who Judah was counting on to rescue them.  They had trusted in their political alliances instead of in God, putting their pride in the wrong place.

We also are not immune.  What do we and our nations take pride in?  Like Elam, is it the strength of our military?  Like Edom, does our sense of security from enemies lull us into a state of complacency and pride?  Like Kedar and Hazor, has our wealth become a source of pride?  We may not even be aware of these things, but God is aware and He will judge all of our sources of pride.  As He said in Isaiah 42:8 –

“I am the LORD; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.”

God does not tolerate rivals, and we should be ready for God to judge the great Babylon’s of our time, our nation, and our hearts.  Until we are perfected in eternity, we and our nations will have things we put pride in inappropriately.  Our own strength, our own security, our own wealth.  We, and our nations, aren’t perfect, but have many idols.  Things that distract us from God and lead us to do things we shouldn’t.  Only God knows what all of these things are.

If “Elam is famous for its archers,” what do you and your nation put too much pride in?  Pray that God will reveal these to us and help us to overcome them, putting Him in their place.

[1] Reformation Study Bible, note on Jeremiah 49:35.
[2] Jeremiah 49:15-16
[3] Jeremiah 49:28

Praying for Our Leaders

Todd R 1 Comment

King David was known as a man who sought God’s will in all things, even though he often failed.  The Psalms record many of his prayers for God to guide him and make him a good leader.  Psalm 26 is one of these prayers, and verses 8-10 include good objectives for any leader:

“O LORD, I love the habitation of your house
            and the place where your glory dwells.
Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
            nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
in whose hands are evil devices,
            and whose right hands are full of bribes.”

Sometimes we may not know how to pray “for kings and all who are in high positions,”[1] as Paul suggests, but in this cry to God, David gives us at least 3 things to pray about.  He lists qualities he wanted to pursue, and some he wanted to avoid.  Praying for these things is good for any leader.  Therefore, on the model of Psalm 26, we can pray for the leaders of our countries and communities today.

We can pray for political leaders who:

  • worship God (who “love the habitation of your house”)
  • do not seek violence and vengeance (who are not “bloodthirsty men”), and
  • are not corrupted by money (whose hands are not “full of bribes”)

All leaders can use our prayers today!

[1] 1 Timothy 2:2

Daily Readings for November 2 – 8

Todd R Leave a comment

Fellow travelers:

For those looking for a Bible reading plan, each week I post 2 chapters to read per day as a main reading plan, and for anyone who wants to read the whole Bible in 2026, I’ll post the extra chapters to read that week.  The main readings include nearly all of the New Testament, plus Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Prophets, and a few other Old Testament books.

Reading 3 chapters a day on weekdays and 4 on weekends almost exactly covers the 1,189 chapters of the Bible, so the “extra” readings will be about 9 chapters per week.  These readings cover the Pentateuch, the OT histories, a few other OT books, plus Jude and Revelation from the NT.

Regardless, I hope this schedule encourages others to read and study their Bible regularly, whatever parts they decide to read.  Follow along (or not) any way you choose!

2 chapter a day plan:
Monday, November 2: Philemon, Hebrews 1
Tuesday, November 3: Hebrews 2 – 3
Wednesday, November 4: Hebrews 4 – 5
Thursday, November 5: Hebrews 6 – 7
Friday, November 6: Hebrews 8 – 9
Saturday, November 7: Hebrews 10 – 11
Sunday, November 8: Hebrews 12 – 13

Extra chapters for those reading the whole Bible in 2026:
2 Chronicles 28 – 36

Mountain Bullies

Todd R Leave a comment

It’s almost universal to human experience that big and strong people bully smaller and weaker people.  Those with position, influence and power use what they have to take advantage of those who don’t have what they have.  Centuries ago, David imagined in Psalm 68:15-16 that even the mountains do the same:

“O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
            O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
            at the mount that God desired for his abode,
            yes, where the LORD will dwell forever?” – Psalm 68:15-16

The mountains of Bashan, of which Mount Hermon is the tallest, are northeast of Israel and are much taller than Mount Zion, where God had chosen to be most fully present with His people.  In David’s picture, size is what matters: the bigger mountains hate the smaller mountains, even knowing that God is there.  The big bully the small, and perhaps they do so because they know God is there.

Photo by Kalen Emsley on Unsplash

Likewise, people who are well-off in this world often look down on Christians, God’s chosen people.  It is rare for the rich, famous, or powerful to publicly testify about Christ, and so we often get excited when athletes, celebrities, or politicians make their faith public.  We say to each other, “did you hear so-and-so is a Christian?”  It can make us feel like it’s more reasonable and accepted to follow Christ when this happens.  It feels good to identify with the rich and powerful.

But what if this rarity of seeing faith in the rich and powerful is intentional on God’s part?

Throughout Scripture God doesn’t identify with the rich and powerful; He identifies with the widow and orphan, with the lonely and outcast.  He favors the weak and the exploited.

In 1 Corinthians 1:26, Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.”  The first century isn’t much different than to today: the “wise”, powerful and noble rarely testified about Christ.  Next Paul wrote: “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are…”

Why?  “…so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”

Back to Psalm 68, where we found the mountains of Bashan ridiculing God’s mountain of Zion, David ends with these verses:

“Ascribe power to God,
            whose majesty is over Israel,
            and whose power is in the skies.
Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
            the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!”

I’ll rejoice over a public Christian testimony wherever it comes from, but I remember that God doesn’t need the help of the movers and shakers of this world.  His power is “in the skies” – way above the mountains that bully His Mount Zion.  He is glorified more when His power enables the weak to love Him and love their neighbor.

We might sometimes feel alone and ignored, like we’re not part of the “in crowd” or successful, but that might mean we’re God’s type of person!  No celebrity endorsement required.

“Ascribe power to God”

God is Awake!

Todd R Leave a comment

Sometimes even Christians with strong faith may look at the evil and problems of the world and wonder where God is.  Does He care?  And if He does care, why isn’t He doing something about the state of our world?  If God is a God of love, why doesn’t He protect His people, and if God is a God of justice, why doesn’t He punish evil?  God may seem so distant and unconcerned with our problems that He might as well be sleeping.  We may feel like calling out in these words from Isaiah 51:9 and 10 –

“Awake, awake, put on strength,
O arm of the LORD;
awake, as in days of old,
the generations of long ago.
Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,
who pierced the dragon?
Was it not you who dried up the sea,
the waters of the great deep,
who made the depths of the sea a way
for the redeemed to pass over?”

We know the stories of God’s power and strength from our knowledge of the Bible.  We know how He acted in “days of old.”  We know how He humiliated the gods of Egypt during the exodus, represented here by “Rahab.”  But where is He now?  When we are discouraged, we may think He is asleep.  However, He is not asleep, so what’s going on?

When Isaiah says, “awake, awake,” it is because his awareness of God has grown dim, not because God actually sleeps.  Like Isaiah we can be more or less aware of God at different times.  We also may be more or less aware of particular attributes of God.  At times, we may “feel” God’s love, or mercy, or power, but not all of these at once.  Often, when good things happen, we are aware of His love, and when bad things happen, we are aware of His justice.  When times are uneventful, we may forget He is involved at all.  He doesn’t seem to us like the God we read about in the Bible.  Our knowledge of Him is incomplete and inconsistent.

When Isaiah said to God “awake, awake” he was prophesying to Israelites facing exile.  Israelites who might forget the power of the Lord.  But Isaiah told them that they must know that all of God is always with them.  God is able to fulfill His purposes.  God is awake and cares about them, but in their present circumstances this would be hard to believe.  Likewise, our circumstances often make us see an incomplete picture of God.  We are all in exile in this world, and there is much to question.  Injustice and violence.  Calamity and disaster.  Blasphemy and apostacy.  Sin and hypocrisy.  Where is God?

At these times, it is essential to remember the times God acted on behalf of His people, and on behalf of us!  It is essential to remind ourselves of God’s character.  Our God declared Himself to Moses as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”[1] When will He show Himself as such?  As God said to Habakkuk: “the righteous shall live by his faith”[2] Faith that the full impact of God’s love and justice may be delayed, but it will not be delayed forever.  Even when God seems to be asleep, He is not.  God is awake!

When we feel the need to cry “awake, awake” note what Isaiah said next in Isaiah 51:11, which says:

“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

God will save His people because He tells us He will.  It might not look like it on some (or many) days, but “the righteous shall live by his faith.”  Pray for God to teach us that His promises are enough, even when things don’t make sense. He is awake!

Amen.

[1] Exodus 34:6
[2] Habakkuk 2:4b