Right Praying in Old Testament Days

Posted on March 18, 2011 by russellmckinney

Who prayed true prayers to the true God in the days of the Old Testament? Well, we must keep in mind that God didn’t reveal Himself in that era as fully as He would in the New Testament era. Therefore, the answer is: In Old Testament days, it was the people of Israel who got prayer right as they prayed exclusively to their one “LORD.”

This title “LORD” is the translation of four Hebrew consonants, the English equivalent of which would be: Y-H-W-H. “YHWH” is used thousands of times in the Old Testament as the name of God. Unfortunately, how we got from the Hebrew name “YHWH” to the English name “LORD” is very confusing. I will, however, make an attempt to give you the basics of the process.

First, we begin with the fact that the earliest form of Hebrew writing didn’t use vowels. While the Jews did use vowels when speaking Hebrew words, they didn’t use them when they spelled out those words. Consequently, the simple consonants “YHWH” are all that are given for this particular name of God in the Old Testament text. Our modern English translations of the Old Testament indicate this specific name’s use by capitalizing all the letters in “LORD.” For example, the next time you read David’s opening line to Psalm 23 notice that the word “LORD” is in all caps. This is the way our English translations attempt to convey that the Hebrew name for God that is being used is the famous “YHWH.“

Second, to further complicate matters concerning the Old Testament’s primary name for God, sometime around 300 B.C. the Jews stopped pronouncing the name out loud whenever they read from the Old Testament. Why did they do this? They did it because they considered the name too holy to even speak and didn’t want to run the risk of breaking the commandment about taking it in vain. So, whenever they came to “YHWH” in their reading, they spoke the name “Adonai” instead. In Hebrew, “Adonai” means “Lord.”

But then a tragic thing happened. With the death of the last Jew who had actually heard the name “YHWH” pronounced aloud using the proper vowels, the correct way to pronounce it was lost to history. This left the Jews, not to mention everybody else, to attempt to guess at not only the correct way to pronounce the name but also the correct vowels — the Jews did eventually start incorporating vowels into their writing — to add to its spelling to make the pronunciation sound as it should. Unfortunately, the entire world has been dealing with this problem ever since.

Third, at some point, the Jewish scribes took the Hebrew vowels from “Adonai” and combined them with the consonants “YHWH,” and from this combining came the name in Hebrew “Yahweh.” Later on, the result of this combining was translated from Hebrew into Latin, and from this translating came the name “Jehovah.”

Now, I realize that this is all pretty confusing, but please don’t get bogged down in the translation minutia. The main point of this post is that during the days of the Old Testament the Jews were the people who prayed legitimate prayers to the legitimate God. They prayed to their “LORD” (“Yahweh,” “Jehovah”). Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is the Jewish Shema, their ancient confession of faith. Even now devout Jews recite its words twice a day. And the heart of the passage is found in verse 4: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!”

In light of the Shema, Old Testament believers prayed to the one “Lord” of Israel. Scripture’s examples of such prayers are far too numerous to list, but perhaps the most famous is the prayer King Solomon prayed to dedicate the Jewish temple (1 Kings 8:22-53). That prayer covers thirty-two verses! So, to sum up, if the question is, “Who prayed true prayers to the true God in the days of the Old Testament?” the answer is: The Jews and any Gentiles who had enough spiritual light to pray to Israel’s one true God.

Posted in God's Name, Prayer, Scripture, The Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Does a Worm Get Inside an Apple?

Posted on March 17, 2011 by russellmckinney

Most people think the worm burrows down inside the apple from the outside. In actuality, however, the worm was born inside the apple. It’s an interesting process. I’ve read this in various places, but for this post I’ll quote directly from Big Site of Amazing Facts.

During the summer, small fruit flies can be found buzzing around apple orchards. These are called apple maggot flies. Each female finds herself a sweet smelling apple that is ripening and lands on it. Using a small, sharp, hollow tube on the underside of her body, the fly stabs a small hole in the fruit. Then she releases her eggs, which slide down that hollow tube into the apple.

Soon afterwards, the eggs hatch into tiny white worms, in no way resembling their mother. These worms are called railroad worms.

All during the summer and into the fall, the always hungry worms nourish themselves by munching tunnels in the apple. When the apples are ripe in the fall and drop from the tree, the worms crawl out and burrow into the ground.

There, a hard outer skin develops on each worm’s body. This hard skin becomes a winter home for the worm in the ground. It is inside this winter home that the worm becomes a maggot fly.

The following summer, the fly breaks open the skin, emerges, and begins to fly about the orchard. Then the entire process begins all over again.

The Bible teaches that the heart of man’s problem is the problem of man’s heart. (It should be understood that the Bible primarily uses the word “heart” as a metaphor for a person’s innermost being, not to the actual organ itself.) Sin doesn’t enter in from the outside and burrow its way down into a person’s heart. No, the sin is there in the heart from the very beginning. This is the result of being born into Adam’s fallen race. Consider the following passages (all from the N.K.J.V.):

Psalm 51:5: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.”

Ecclesiastes 9:3: “…Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil…”

Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it?”

Matthew 15:18-19: “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”

Mark 7:20-23: “And He said, ‘What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.'”

While detox centers and prison rehabilitative programs have their place in the grand scheme of things, as do political attempts at moral and social reform, let us never forget that the heart of man’s problem is the problem of man’s heart. The “worm” of sin is forevermore eating its way up from deep within each of us, and it is only Jesus who can adequately deal with that worm. That’s why each of us should, to use the old evangelistic invitation, accept Jesus into our “heart” (Revelation 3:20; Ephesians 3:17). So tell me, have you done that? If you haven’t, I encourage you to do it right now and let Jesus begin to bring that “worm” inside you under control.

Posted in Backsliding, Change, Depravity, Rebellion, Salvation, Sin, The Heart | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Headed North

Posted on March 16, 2011 by russellmckinney

Is it possible for a person to be moving north and south at the same time? Sure. Imagine a man walking south on the deck of a ship that is headed north.

As we live the Christian life, we oftentimes face problems and setbacks. Some of these are merely us reaping the crops of bad seed we have sown. Others, however, strike us by way of the devil and his demons. And then there are those times when we get caught in the choppy wake of the sinful actions of other people.

The truth is that these problems and setbacks can be likened to us walking “backward” in life. But what we must realize is that no matter what befalls the Christian in this earthly life, he is still bound for heaven and is constantly progressing in that direction. A Christian’s current steps, if they are troublesome, may take him in an undesirable direction, but overall the ship is relentlessly headed for glory.

In Romans 8:18, Paul addresses the subject of how God will one day make all of creation right again. Specifically, this is a reference to the coming “kingdom age” when Christ will reign upon this earth for 1,000 years. But the verse also sheds light on the matter of the Christian being bound for heaven despite struggling in this life. Paul writes:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (N.K.J.V.)

Remember this promise, Christian, and don’t let go of it. No matter how bad this earthly life gets, you are headed for a better one. You are headed upward (call it “north”) to heaven and no amount of having to walk “south” down here can ever change that.

Posted in Adversity, Backsliding, Comfort, Demons, Eternal Security, Heaven, Perseverance, Problems, Reward, Salvation, Satan, Sowing and Reaping, Trials | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Should Women Wear Head Coverings?

Posted on March 14, 2011 by russellmckinney

Did you know that various Christian denominations around the world require women to wear head coverings in church? Some denominations even extend the requirement to settings outside the church. As for what type of covering the women wear, that depends upon the culture. For example, the headscarf is the preferred covering in Eastern European churches. The shawl is preferred in the Middle East and Russia. The dupatta is common in India and Pakistan. The head tie is prominent in the Caribbean and West Africa. The marama is standard in Romana, and the mantilla is commonplace in Spain, Latin America, and the Philippines.

Here in America, the Amish, the Mennonites, the Quakers, and some groups of the Plymouth Brethren require women to wear head coverings. The kapp is the covering most often used in these settings. Whereas the headscarves, shawls, dupattas, etc. from other parts of the world have enough length to at least come down past the woman’s shoulders, kapps barely cover the top of the head and leave the ears exposed. For this reason, they are oftentimes worn with a bonnet.

Of course, all of this raises the question: Is there anything in the Bible about women wearing head coverings? The answer is: Yes. As a matter of fact, the Christian tradition of women wearing head coverings is based upon a very famous passage from 1 Corinthians. It’s 1 Corinthians 11:1-16, and I’ll cite it for you in its entirety. The apostle Paul says to the Christians of Corinth:

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God. Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God. (N.K.J.V.)

Well, obviously, this lengthy passage requires a lot of unpacking. To help me do that unpacking, I’m going to employ ten statements as a way of outlining my comments. Here we go.

Statement #1: The main teaching of the passage has to do with male headship and female submission. Some people don’t like texts such as this one, Genesis 3:16, Ephesians 5:22-24, and Colossians 3:18 because the passages all teach the concept of male headship and female submission as being God’s divine order. This headship/submission relationship is to be on display in regards to both marriage and church leadership. In keeping with the Bible’s consistent teaching on this topic, Paul doesn’t get too far into his words about head coverings before he says in verse 3, “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”

Statement #2: In explaining that the man has the God-given role of headship, Paul uses Adam and Eve as an illustration. He says in verses 8 and 9, “For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.” This is an obvious reference to how God created Eve from one of Adam’s ribs and described her as “a helper comparable to him” (Genesis 2:18-22, N.K.J.V.)

Statement #3: In the culture of Corinth, as well as in other cities of the New Testament era, the women wore head coverings as symbols of their submission. This explains why Paul says in verse 6, “For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shaved (and it was), let her be covered.” History tells us that these coverings were not veils that hid the women’s faces. They were, instead, shawl-type coverings that left the faces exposed.

Statement #4: In encouraging the Christian women of Corinth (and by implication the Christian women of other New Testament cities) to wear head coverings, Paul explained that God has even built this basic idea — the idea that an uncovered head represents a lack of submission while a covered head represents submission — into His bodily design for men and women. In verses 14 and 15, he says, “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.” While it’s true that women can typically grow their hair longer than men, Paul wasn’t saying that the Christian women of Corinth or other cities could forego their literal head coverings if they wore their hair long. No, he still wanted them to wear the coverings. He was simply pointing out that even before head coverings were created, God had ensured by way of usual hair length that a woman’s head could be covered enough to showcase her submission. (By the way, I am of the opinion that these verses also prove that Jesus wore His hair much shorter than the look Hollywood usually gives Him.)

Statement #5: Some of the Christian women of Corinth were breaking from the established custom of the day by refusing to wear their head coverings. Perhaps these women had been emboldened by passages such as Galatians 3:28, where Paul himself writes: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (N.K.J.V.). While it’s certainly true that male Christians and female Christians are spiritual equals in regards to salvation, it does not follow that this equality obliterates the God-appointed roles of men and women. For example, just as Christian men can’t have babies, Christian women can’t usurp (at least with God’s approval) the role of headship. As a matter of fact, Paul says in verse 10 of our text passage that even God’s angels pay attention to whether or not women wear symbols of submission upon their heads.

Statement #6: The situation in Corinth was made even worse by the fact that in that city the prostitutes did not wear head coverings. In keeping with their whole mindset of rebellion against God’s way, the prostitutes in Corinth not only refused to wear head coverings but also wore their hair short. By breaking their city’s cultural norms in these two ways, the prostitutes brazenly flaunted their rebellion and their refusal to submit to male headship.

Statement #7: The praying and prophesying that Paul speaks of in verse 4 was most likely taking place outside the worship services of the local churches of Corinth. I say this because for Paul to have advocated such things for those worship services would have completely contradicted what he taught in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-15 about women remaining silent in the church services. While the argument might be made that a women could have prayed silently in those churches, there was simply no way for a woman to remain silent if she was prophesying.

Statement #8: It could have been that some of the men of Corinth had taken to actually wearing some type of head coverings themselves when they did their praying and prophesying. Perhaps this is why Paul says in verse 4, “Every man praying and prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head (Christ).” In light of this verse, I have often wondered how professing Christian men from various types of denominations around the world justify their wearing of hats, shawls, or other types of head coverings in worship.

Statement #9: Even though God doesn’t expect modern-day Christians to be bound by the societal standards of ancient Corinth and the other New Testament cities, we are unwise to completely ignore His basic principles concerning length of hair. Notice that Paul (who wrote under the inspiration of God) appeals to nature, not to Corinth or to New-Testament-era culture, when he says in verses 14 and 15, “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her…” The fact is, regardless of the age and society in which one lives, God always wants men to look like men and women to look like women, and He doesn’t approve of the blurring of the lines (Deuteronomy 22:5). Certainly that includes the realm of hairstyles.

Statement #10: While we should not become fanatical legalists on the issue of hairstyles, the plain fact is that many men and women (even many Christian men and women) do not take God into account when it comes to how they wear their hair. The same Paul who wrote 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 also wrote 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Colossians 3:17, two passages in which he teaches that the Christian should do EVERYTHING to the glory of God. And that definitely includes what hairstyle and length of hair he or she publicly presents.

Alright, now that I have explained the basics of the passage, let me get to the answer for my title question: “Should Women Wear Head Coverings?” My answer is, “No,” and I have a logical reason for choosing that answer. Even if the practice of wearing head-coverings was the custom for the churches of Paul’s day, it doesn’t necessarily follow that it was to remain the custom for all churches of all time in all parts of the world. Consider the following examples of how customs have changed in churches down through the centuries:

  • The New Testament congregations were “house churches” that met in homes (Romans 16:3-5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon v.1-2; 2 John v.10). Does this mean, then, that God wants every church to meet in a home and that we are wrong to meet in church buildings?
  • The only two church “titles” (offices) in the New Testament churches were that of pastor (elder, bishop, overseer) and deacon (Philippians 1:2). So, does that mean that every assistant pastor, youth minister, and worship leader today is out of the will of God?
  • Those New Testament churches didn’t know anything about Wednesday-night prayer meetings, Sunday Schools, revival services, Bible schools, or Christmas Cantatas, either. But does this really make these types of services wrong in the eyes of God?
  • The early churches incorporated a “love feast” into their observances of the Lord’s Supper (Jude v.12; 1 Corinthians 11:21,29-30). Does that mean that our churches today must do the same if they want to be pleasing to God in how they observe the Lord’s Supper (Communion)?
  • The churches of the New Testament didn’t have a completed Bible to use, a fact which accounts for a lot of the need for prophesying in those days. But surely God doesn’t frown upon Christians carrying Bibles to church services today.

Do you catch my drift? It’s not that I’m trying to muddy the waters of how church should be done. I’m just showing you that those waters were already fairly muddied when we got here. Actually, when we get right down to it, we must admit that comparing today’s churches to the churches described in the New Testament is in many ways like comparing apples to oranges. Particularly in regards to how those churches “did church” there is a vast difference between how they functioned and how we function. Therefore, the challenge is to spiritually discern the mind of God concerning what we should keep from the way those early churches conducted their services and what we are free to drop. And in my opinion, we are free to drop the custom of requiring women to wear head coverings.

In closing, though, let me quickly add that what we aren’t free to drop is the scriptural principle those head coverings represented. And what was that principle, again? It was the teaching regarding the headship of the man and the submission of the woman. That is a concept that we dare not cast aside as being no longer culturally relevant. Regardless of whether or not a woman wears a literal covering on her head, she must be submitted to male leadership in her heart if she wants to be a true woman of God. You see, just as Paul taught that “heart” circumcision is more important than wearing the literal mark of outward circumcision (Romans 2:25-29), the same holds true for “heart” submission as opposed to the literal wearing of a head covering. That, I think, is how God would have us to apply 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 in our churches today. But I have to say that if a Christian woman still wants to wear an actual head covering to evidence her godly submission, well, that can certainly be a beautiful thing, too.

Posted in Christian Liberty, Church, Discernment, Dress and Appearance, Headship, Husbands, Marriage, Personal Holiness, Prayer, Rebellion, Submission, Wives, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Find That Treasure

Posted on March 13, 2011 by russellmckinney

William Randolph Hearst, the legendary newspaper publishing magnate, was one of the wealthiest men of his time. His great wealth allowed him to spend millions of dollars collecting art treasures from around the world. One day he read the description of a valuable piece of art and promptly dispatched his agent abroad to locate the piece and buy it. After months of searching, the agent finally reported that he had found the treasure. Where was it? To Hearst’s great surprise, it was stored in one of his own warehouses, having already been purchased by him years earlier.

There are many applications we could make to this story, but let me offer just this one: Sometimes the treasure you seek is one you already have in your possession if you only knew it.

Christian, what does God’s word say about being content with the things you have? The passage is Hebrews 13:5-6:

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ (N.K.J.V.)

The teaching is: If you have Jesus, you have the Creator of the universe on your side, and that’s plenty of treasure for anyone.

Posted in Contentment, Covetousness, Desires, God's Provision, Greed, Lust, Needs, Prosperity, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Next Day

Posted on March 10, 2011 by russellmckinney

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:1-2, N.K.J.V.)

One day some of Napoleon’s officers came to him and recommended a young captain for promotion. When Napoleon asked them why they were suggesting the captain for promotion, they explained that he had used great courage and cleverness to win a victory several days earlier. To that, Napoleon replied, “Good, but what did he do the next day?” That was the last that was ever heard of a promotion for the young captain.

You say you went to church Sunday? Fine, but what did you do Monday? You studied your Bible Tuesday night? Okay, but what did you do Wednesday? You prayed a great prayer Thursday? Excellent, but what did you do Friday? You see, occasional flashes of brilliance in serving the Lord just don’t compare to a life that is wholly devoted to serving Him 24-7. So, with this in mind, how’s your case for a promotion right now?

Posted in Character, Church Attendance, Commitment, Discipleship, Faithfulness, God's Work, Obedience, Personal Holiness, Priorities, Righteousness | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A New Shirt

Posted on March 9, 2011 by russellmckinney

Sally Haack tells the following story:

Last summer one of the local civic clubs of which my husband was a member sponsored a camping trip for underprivileged children. Upon arriving at the camp, each little boy was given a Frisbee and a t-shirt.

When the weekend was over and the boys were boarding the bus to go home, one little boy ran up to my husband and handed him his t-shirt, which was rather soiled and wrinkled but nevertheless neatly folded and placed in its plastic package.

My husband told the boy that the shirt was his, that he could keep it. Big tears welled up in the boy’s eyes as he said, “Thank you. I’ve never had a new shirt before.”

My husband swallowed the lump in his throat and told the boy to be sure to come back next year and he could get another new shirt. The boy thought for a moment, then looked up and said, “No. I don’t think I will come next year.” “Well, why not?” asked my husband. The boy replied, “I think I’ll send my little brother. He’s never had a new shirt either.

What all is currently hanging in your closet? How many pairs of shoes do you own? What’s inside your refrigerator right now? How much food is on the shelves of your pantry or cabinets? Are your bills paid up? Do you have some money in the bank? If you can answer, “Yes” to most of these questions or all of them, be thankful. Remember that 1 Thessalonians 5:18 is still in the Bible:

in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (N.K.J.V.)

You see, whatever else might be the specific will of God for your life, I know that it His will for you to be thankful for what you have. So, work on that today.

Posted in Children, Contentment, Desires, Giving, God's Will, God's Work, Thankfulness | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

God’s Opinion of Virginity

Posted on March 8, 2011 by russellmckinney

Suppose a man marries a woman, but after sleeping with her, he turns against her and publicly accuses her of shameful conduct, saying, “When I married this woman, I discovered she was not a virgin.” Then the woman’s father and mother must bring the proof of her virginity to the elders as they hold court at the town gate. Her father must say to them, “I gave my daughter to this man to be his wife, and now he has turned against her. He has accused her of shameful conduct, saying, ‘I discovered that your daughter was not a virgin.’ But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.” Then they must spread her bed sheet before the elders. The elders must then take the man and punish him. They must also fine him 100 pieces of silver, which he must pay to the woman’s father because he publicly accused a virgin of Israel of shameful conduct. The woman will then remain the man’s wife, and he may never divorce her. But suppose the man’s accusations are true, and he can show that she was not a virgin. The woman must be taken to the door of her father’s home, and there the men of the town must stone her to death, for she has committed a disgraceful crime in Israel by being promiscuous while living in her parents’ home. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 22:13-21, New Living Translation)

According to its website, the National Center for Health Statistics (NSFG) “gathers information on pregnancy and births, marriage and cohabitation, infertility, use of contraception, family life, and general and reproductive health.” Its latest completed round of interviewing, with published results, covers the years 2017-2019. During those years the NSFG interviewed 6,141 women and 5,206 men. All those interviewed were between the ages of 15-49 and were either currently married or had been married at least once. (I should probably point out that Kansas and Hawaii actually do allow 15-year-olds to legally marry.)

In regards to premarital sex, 89.3% of those surveyed women and 93.4% of those surveyed men said they had engaged in premarital sex. Both of those percentages were increases from the 2015-2017 interview period, which reported that 85.9% of similar women and 90.3% of similar men had engaged in premarital sex. If these numbers paint an even remotely correct picture of premarital sex in America, it is indeed a very troubling one.

Standing in stark contrast to America’s current mocking of virginity, we have our text passage, which was a part of God’s Old Testament law. How highly was virginity valued in a newlywed Jewish girl in ancient Israel? If her husband’s initial sex with her led him to conclude that she wasn’t a virgin when she married him, he could take her to court before the elders of his town and formally charge her with shameful conduct. At that point, the burden of proof for the girl’s premarital virginity would fall to her parents. In order to clear her of the charge, they had to produce proof of her virginity. This proof would have been in the form of a blood-stained bedsheet or a blood-stained garment from the wedding night.

If the girl’s parents were able to produce this proof, the husband who had made the false accusation was to be punished, fined 100 pieces of silver, and never allowed to divorce the girl. Presumably, the word “punished” refers to the man being whipped. As for the 100 pieces of silver, they were to be paid to the girl’s father because the good name of his family had been soiled by the false accusation. Not only had the accusation cast his daughter in a bad light, it had cast him and his wife in one for not being able to raise a sexually pure daughter.

But on the other hand, if the girl’s parents were not able to produce the required proof that the girl truly was a virgin when she got married, the required sentence for her was death by stoning. She was to be taken to the door of her father’s home and stoned there by the men of the town. By doing the stoning at the door of the home in which the girl was raised, a stigma would be associated with that home. Also, the girl’s parents would recall the memory of her stoning every time they entered the home. That memory would serve to remind them that they had somehow failed her in her upbringing.

Okay, so am I advocating that we implement God’s Old Testament law here in America? No, I’m not. I’m simply pointing out that law’s standard in regards to virginity and using that standard as evidence of just how highly God values virginity. In other words, if you want to know what God thinks about premarital sex in America becoming about as common as dirt, Deuteronomy 22:13-21 will give you your answer.

As a closing reminder, Hebrews 13:4 still says: “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (N.K.J.V.). The teaching of this verse is simple: Any sexual activity that is done anywhere besides the confines of marriage is sin and is therefore worthy of God’s judgment. That’s not hypothetical Old Testament law, either. It’s New Testament fact.

If we can believe the statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics, 89% of American women and 93% of American men either don’t know that teaching or don’t fear it enough to bring their lives in line with it. Obviously, no Americans are getting stoned to death with rocks these days, but God does have other forms of judgment, and I have no doubt that America is experiencing them in one way or another right now. This is just one more way in which the American train has derailed, and I find it simply impossible to believe that any real changes will ever occur apart from Christ’s Second Coming.

Posted in Capital Punishment, Children, Current Events, Fatherhood, God's Judgment, Lust, Marriage, Motherhood, Parenting, Personal Holiness, Sanctification, Sex, Sin, Singleness, The Death Penalty, The Old Testament Law | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ordered Steps

Posted on March 7, 2011 by russellmckinney

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. (Psalm 37:23, N.K.J.V.)

The Hebrew word translated as “ordered” in this verse is kun, and it’s a word that primarily means “to be established, readied, or prepared.” In Judges 16:26, it is used to describe the supports that held up the pillars upon which a Philistine building stood. In Psalm 93:1, it refers to how God has firmly established the world. In Genesis 41:32, it is used to emphasis the fact that the dream Pharaoh had on two separate occasions had been established by God and was therefore surely going to come to pass. As kun is used in the context of Psalm 37:23, it means that God will make rock solid the steps of the person who truly walks with Him. In other words, the person who walks with God never walks on shaky ground!

Of course, walking with God requires the individual to walk in God’s will. In terms of God’s will for any person’s life, He has a general will (love God, love others, keep God’s commandments, etc.) and a specific will (where to live, where to work, where to attend church, etc.). Don’t hold to the wrong assumption that God is just sitting up in heaven, kind of half paying attention to your decision-making. Much to the contrary, He has a will regarding ALL of your decisions, even those you consider inconsequential. As our text verse says, He wants to order and establish your steps and, consequently, delight in your way.

I once heard a comedian build a comedy routine around the advantages of driving a run-down car. He said, “When you drive an old car, you don’t care if it gets hit. That’s why, when I’m trying to get on the interstate, I just pull straight out into traffic. Let ’em sort it out behind me.” I cracked up at that joke, but it’s not so funny when you operate like that in real life. When you go ahead and pull out into traffic and expect God to sort things out behind you, you live life backwards. Rather than letting Him order and establish your steps, you charge off down your own path and leave yourself wide open for all kinds of unpleasant results.

So, starting right now, you should dedicate yourself completely to seeking God’s will and doing it regarding each and every decision. That includes where you live, where you work, where you attend church, what clothes you buy, where you go on vacation, etc., etc., etc. Don’t be guilty of just pulling out into traffic regarding any decision. And never forget that God wants to lead you by walking ahead of you, ordering your steps, and making sure that you are always walking on solid ground. That’s so much better than Him following behind you and coming to your rescue every time you step into a gopher hole, a ditch, a crevice, or even a pit.

Posted in Backsliding, Choices, Decisions, Doing Good, Dying To Self, God's Will, Obedience, Sanctification, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Mitchell County (We’re Not All Leaving)

Posted on March 4, 2011 by russellmckinney

In March of 2024, the United States Census Bureau released its 2023 county population estimates for North Carolina. Of North Carolina’s 100 counties, 85 of them had either grown in population or at least remained almost identically the same in terms of population since the previous year’s census. The other 15 counties had experienced a loss in population.

Guess which list my county, Mitchell, made. As has been the trend for the past several years, we experienced a loss in population (-.03, a decrease of 49 people). By contrast, the counties that surround us experienced gains: Avery (+.01, an increase of 20 people), Yancey (+.09, an increase of 170 people), and McDowell (+.03, an increase of 138 people).

While a decrease of 49 people might not seem all that significant, it becomes very significant when it fits into a larger pattern that has been playing itself out for several years now. In 2011, our county’s estimated population was 15,356, but according to the 2023 estimates, it now stands at 14,999. That, by the way, is in spite of increases of 72 people in 2021 and 73 in 2022, increases which momentarily had stopped the downward plummet that had been occurring since at least 2011. With these latest numbers, those years of 2021 and 2022 now look more like anomalies than evidences of permanent fixes.

I could write a book on the topic of Mitchell’s declining population. In one chapter, I could describe once thriving furniture factories being shut down. In another chapter, I could explain how our high school went from being 3A when I was there 40+ years ago to being 2A to now being 1A. In a chapter about recent events, I could mention that this coming August the student populations of our two middle schools will be combined for the first time and begin attending a newly built middle school. But what would be the point of writing such a book? No one around here needs to read a book to know that these occurrences don’t indicate long-term numeric vibrancy.

To the credit of some of our local folks, they are working hard to address the problem even though they are not in lock step as to how to go about it. Some of them are trying to make Mitchell county a hotbed for tourism. Others want to focus upon the local arts community and push that angle hard. And then there are those who are trying to attract new textile businesses into the county.

Of course, standing indifferent to all of these efforts are the residents who like our county just the way it is. As you might guess, these are the people who have the local setup licked and don’t want it altered to favor anyone else. These people remind me of so many “family run” churches in that their attitude is: “As long as me and mine are fine, I really don’t care about anybody else.”

There is, however, one other thing that I know about Mitchell county: I know it is where God has placed me. Call it “blooming where you’re planted.” Call it “lighting a candle in the midst of the darkness.” Call it whatever you like, but this is where Tonya and I are supposed to be right now. This is where I’m to pastor a church called Roan Mountain Baptist Church. This is where I’m to write posts for this blog. This is where I’m to do a radio broadcast each week. This is where I’m to vote. This is where I’m to pay local taxes. This is where I’m to do all the rest of the things I do (with the exception of going on vacation).

Who knows? Maybe one day God will do some uprooting and plant me and Tonya somewhere else. Then again, maybe He won’t. But no matter how God leads us in the days to come, I understand that His will is perfect and His plan is best. As Adrian Rogers, the longtime pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, used to say, “God’s will is what you would want for yourself if you had enough sense to want it.” Well, I’ve got enough sense to want it, even if it means staying on in a county where the population numbers are declining. And, at least for now and the foreseeable future, that’s exactly what it means.

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