Author: Calleen Hough

Born again

I was a virgin when I was raped at the age of 14. Afterward, I knew I had lost something, that it had been taken from me violently, by force, but I didn’t know what it was until many years later. Virginity is more than a type of innocence. It is like a royal robe that identifies us as God’s children, creatures that have been created in his image. Rape is much like the original sin that caused the earth to bring forth thorns and thistles. It takes away the beauty that once existed and replaces it with pain and sorrow.

Psalm 119:126 states, “It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law.” The Hebrew word translated work in this verse is the same word translated make in Genesis 1:26 where it states, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” God did not stop working after he made the heavens and earth. God’s work of redemption is ongoing and is evidenced by the transformation of people’s lives. It says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things are become new.”

One of the things that happened to me when I became a Christian was that my virginity was restored. By that, I do not mean that my body was restored to its previous condition, but that my mind and heart were transformed into the image of Christ. My royal robe was returned to me and I was once again an innocent child of God. God’s work of redemption made it possible for me to recover what had been taken from me and to live as if I had not been raped.

A conversation with God

The first conversation I had with God began with a spontaneous expression of a desire I was completely unaware of. My statement was like a confession. “God, all I want do is come and be with you in heaven and take care of the little babies there.” And his response was like a prophetic revelation, “Some day you will come and be with me, but until that time, I have much work for you to do where you are.” I received the message 35 years ago and yet it seems as if it was only yesterday the words were spoken to me.

The psalmist said, “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). The word translated settled, nâtsab (naw – tsab´) means to station (5324). It is similar to what a soldier does while on watch. The words for ever designate an existence that is outside of time or “from the most distant past time to the most distant future time,” in other words, eternity (5769). Heaven is God’s home, but it is not a place in the universe. “God’s abode is a unique realm not to be identified with the physical creation” (8064). God is in or in between everything we can see.

The fact that we can hear God speak to us is unexplainable, but my experience indicates it is possible to have a conversation with God. The thing that amazes me the most about what I heard was that is was exactly what I needed to hear in the moment and every moment since then. The message was timeless and it has sustained me for 35 years. I don’t know how much longer it will be before I go to heaven, but I know some day I will go there, or should I say be there, as God is now.

For my son, the Messiah

David’s last psalm was dedicated to his son Solomon and was probably given to him after his death. David reveals his expectation that his son would be Israel’s savior. In his prayer, David said, “He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

One of the points that Paul the Apostle made about Jesus was that he was “of the seed of David” (2 Timothy 2:8). Paul connected Jesus with David because it was known at that time that Israel’s Messiah would be a descendant of David. The thing that distinguished Jesus from Solomon was that Jesus was raised from the dead, a qualification for eternal life. God’s promise to David was that his son or seed would rule over God’s kingdom for ever (2 Samuel 7:13). Therefore, Solomon could not be the Messiah.

I can understand why David thought Solomon was the promised eternal king of Israel, but I wonder if David realized the pressure he was putting on his son Solomon. Solomon most likely asked God for wisdom and knowledge because there was no way he could be the Messiah without it, but if Solomon thought he could take God’s place in ruling over the people of Israel, he was mistaken. God never intended for a merely mortal man to be Israel’s eternal king. Only God himself could handle that kind of responsibility.

Paul said, “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel” (2 Timothy 2:8). What was so profound about Paul’s gospel was not that a man was raised from the dead, but an eternal God became a man. This was the point I believe Paul was trying to make. God’s promise to David was not that his son would live forever, but that the God who lives forever would become David’s son.

Many times in the Bible, the gospel is referred to as a mystery. The Greek word translated mystery, musterion does not mean mystery as we think of it, “but that which, being outside the range of unassisted natural apprehension, can be made known only by divine revelation, and is made known in a manner and at a time appointed by God, and to those only who are illumined by His Spirit. In the ordinary sense a ‘mystery’ implies knowledge withheld” (3466). I believe psalm 72 should have been titled for Jesus, not Solomon.

And

When God answered Solomon’s prayer for wisdom and knowledge, God did not just give him wisdom and knowledge, God gave Solomon wisdom, knowledge, and wealth.

And God said to Solomon, because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life, but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyselft that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like. (2 Chronicles:11-12)

Typically, God only gives us what we ask for. It says in James 4:2, “ye have not, because ye ask not.” In general, we understand that we need to ask God for what we want, but in Solomon’s case, God gave Solomon something he didn’t ask for… and maybe didn’t want. It is not clear whether Solomon wanted wealth, but didn’t ask for it or God decided to give Solomon wealth even though or because he didn’t want it.

It’s hard to imagine that Solomon, or anyone else for that matter, would not want to be wealthy. It could have been that Solomon was not interested in material possessions, but more than likely, Solomon already had everything he wanted as far as material possessions go. King David was a rich man and probably gave his son everything he asked for. The one thing David couldn’t give his son was wisdom because wisdom only comes from God.

Prior to Solomon, people relied on casting lots to determine the will of God. It may not have occurred to them that they could possess wisdom and be able to discern the will of God without having to ask every time a new situation came up. Knowing the will of God was probably important to Solomon because he didn’t want to make mistakes like his father David had. King David’s affair with Bath-sheba and murder of her husband Uriah caused his family a great deal of pain and suffering. When Nathan the prophet confronted David with his sin, he used a story of greed to depict David’s actions.

In spite of his youth, I believe Solomon was already a wise man when he asked God to give him wisdom and knowledge. Only a wise man would realize that wealth was not the answer to success. I think God gave Solomon wealth because God knew he was wise enough to not abuse it. Solomon was not concerned with impressing other people and was content with what he already had.

An understanding heart

“In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee” (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon’s prayer for wisdom resulted in God making him the wisest man to ever live (1 Kings 3:12). Solomon’s request was for an understanding heart that would enable him to “discern between good and bad (1 Kings 3:9). The word translated understanding, shâma‘ (shaw – mah´) means to hear intelligently and also to give undivided attention (8085). The word shama appears frequently in the Psalms in reference to God hearing the prayers of David. God gave Solomon a supernatural ability that made it possible for Solomon to achieve mental excellence without studying a single subject or experiencing anything himself.

An example of Solomon’s wise decision-making is recorded in 1 Kings 3:16-27. In this particular case, two women are claiming to be the mother of the same child. After hearing their story, Solomon orders the child to be divided into two and half given to each of the women. His shocking decree prompts the real mother to give up her half so that the child can live (1 Kings 3:25-26). What is clear from this example is that Solomon is an expert in human behavior. Solomon understood that a mother’s love for her child should prompt her to sacrifice her own well being for that of her child. Most likely, Solomon knew from the beginning which of the two women was the real mother based on her facial expressions and demeanor, but he chose to let the real mother decide the outcome. It was the real mother’s unselfishness that allowed her to keep her child. If she had agreed to divide the child, rather than give him up, both of the women would have left empty handed.

Solomon was endowed with special abilities given to him by God, not for his own benefit, but for the benefit of the people he ruled over. As the king of Israel, Solomon had the power to decide people’s fate. If he made good decisions, the people would thrive and prosper. If he made bad decisions, the people would become corrupt and dishonesty would ruin relationships. In the case of the two women claiming to be the mother of the same child, one of the women was lying. Because her lie was discovered, she was no longer able to take advantage of the women she lived with. As they both went back home, the real mother and her child reunited, the woman that lied probably wondered to herself, How did Solomon figure it out? I thought for sure I could convince him that I was the real mother.

The purpose of pain

The psalmist said, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes” (Psalm 119:71). The word translated afflicted, anah means to be humbled or made to be meek. “To take a woman sexually by force may be to humble her” (6031) as was the case with Jacob’s daughter Dinah when she was raped by Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite (Genesis 34:2).

Being raped is never a good thing, but the experience of being raped can teach us important lessons about life and human behavior. The Hebrew word translated statutes in Psalm 119:71, choq means an appointment. Statutues are laws of nature, including human nature, that govern God’s creation (2706). God’s laws do not change, therefore, the sooner we learn them the better, if we do not want to live a life of pain and suffering.

The psalmist said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word” (Psalm 119:67). The word translated astray means to stray or figuratively to sin. The same word is also translated as deceived and sin ignorantly (7683). With regards to human behavior, sin could be the result of bad role models or following in the footsteps of someone that is not committed to God. The only way we can break free from these patterns is to be aware that they exist.

The psalmist said, “I know, O LORD, that thy judgements are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75). God does not vary in the way he controls the universe. When the atmosphere reaches certain conditions, it rains, when the earth’s orbit reaches a certain position, the season’s change from summer to fall. If we jump off a cliff, we will always fall to the bottom of the cavern. It is best for us to know the dangers of certain behaviors.

I can’t explain how I know, but after I was raped, I knew God loved me and he was protecting me. It could be that because I escaped and was not seriously hurt, that I felt someone unseen was looking out for me. The psalmist prayed, “let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live” (Psalm 119:77). One of the ways that God protects us is through his word, by letting us know how the world works. If we live by his commandments, we will able to avoid a lot of harsh, painful circumstances.

Going God’s way

“I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart” (Psalm 119:32). God’s commandments are meant to by signposts or directions that guide us on our journey through life. Going the way of God’s commandments means that you are following his directions, traveling along the course that has been laid out for you. When the psalmist said, “I will run the way of thy commandments,” he meant that he would travel quickly or charge ahead when God enlarged his heart.

The phrase “enlarge my heart” (Psalm 119:32) refers to the condition of the inner man. The Hebrew word translated heart, lêb (labe) includes not only the motives, feelings, affections, and desires, but also the will, the aims, the principles, the thoughts, and the intellect of man. In fact, it embraces the whole inner man” (3820). Basically, to enlarge the heart, means to make it grow, not necessarily in size, but in its capacity to think and initiate action.

In order for something to grow, it first has to be alive and then, it has to receive some type of nourishment. The psalmist said, “quicken thou me according to thy word” (Psalm 119:25) and “strengthen thou me according to thy word” (Psalm 119:28). The word translated quicken means to live or to cause to revive (2421) and the word translated strengthen means to arise or to stand up (6965). The reference to these terms in the context of God’s communication with man indicates that growth occurs when we hear God’s word.

The Hebrew word dâbâr (daw – baw´) in most cases “is a technical phrase referring expressly to prophetic revelation (1697). When the psalmist said, “according to thy word” (psalm 119:25, 28), he was most likely referring to a prophetic revelation that he had received from the LORD. The Bible contains numerous prophesies including the entire book of Revelation which covers some events that are still in the future. It is clear that God wants us to know what is going to happen ahead of time and uses prophetic revelations to encourage us in our walk with him.

The Hebrew word translated strengthen in Psalm 119:28 signifies empowering or strengthening, but “it is also used to denote the inevitable occurrence of something predicted or prearranged” (6965). One of the ways that I believe we can gain strength is by asking God to show us his way, to reveal to us the destiny he has planned for us. If you want to go God’s way, then it makes sense to ask him, Where am I going?

Citizens of heaven

An acronym that has been associated with the Bible is “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” Another acronym that has gained a lot of popularity in recent years is NOTW, “Not of this World.” In Psalm 119:19 the psalmist states, “I am a stranger in the earth.” The word translated stranger, gêyr (gare) is properly translated as a guest and by implication a foreigner, but a geyr was not simply a foreigner, “he was a permanent resident, once a citizen of another land” (1616).

The idea that a Christian’s citizenship is in heaven is what prompted the apostle Paul to write, “set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). The word translated affection, phroneo means “to exercise the mind” (5426). Phroneo is derived from the  word phrao which means “to rein in or curb” (5424). The point Paul was trying to make was that it takes a conscious effort to think about heaven rather than earth because we live here. The things of earth are constantly before our eyes.

The Bible is meant to give us a glimpse or view of heaven that whets our appetite. Reading the Bible should make us long for our heavenly home. Unfortunately, the language of the Bible is sometimes an obstacle instead of a help to our understanding of what heaven is really like. When the Psalmist said, “I will delight myself in thy statutes” (Psalm 119:16) and “Thy testimonies also are my delight” (Psalm 119:24), he was talking about what is now recorded in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, our least favorite parts of the Bible.

One way to look at the Bible is a secret decoder ring or map of buried treasure. What you see on the surface makes no sense at all. You have to look intently, with great care, and even meditate on it for awhile before the message begins to be clear. The psalmist said, “I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways” (Psalm 119:15). The word translated respect, “nabat means ‘to look, regard, behold.’ The first use of this term is in Gen 15:5, where it is used in the sense of ‘take a good look’ as God commands Abraham: ‘Look now toward heaven, and [number] the stars…'” (5027).

When we look at the vastness of heaven, it is incomprehensible that the Creator of the universe would bother to communicate with us in a personal way, in our own language so that we could understand him perfectly. As Abraham was gazing into the sky, I think he realized who was talking to him. It says in Genesis 15:6 that Abraham “believed in the LORD.” In other words, Abraham opened his heart to the LORD and began to see with spiritual eyes.

Personal involvement

“Delight thyself also in the LORD and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4). When the LORD works in our lives, he does so through personal involvement. You could say that he gets his hands on us and begins to mold and shape us as the potter does his clay (Jeremiah 18:1-6). The best condition for us to be in when this begins to happen is soft and pliable, capable of transformation.

The Hebrew word that is translated as give in this verse, nathan can also mean to make or do. “Nathan represents the action by which something is set going or actuated” (5414). It is like the potter’s wheel that spins around and allows the potter to use friction as a force to move the clay through his fingers so that it can be reshaped according to his design.

The difficult thing about being on the potter’s wheel is that it sometimes feels like our lives are spinning out of control and the friction that is generated when the potter puts his hands on us is painful. We are expected to feel secure in the potter’s hands, but we cannot see what his is doing and are unsure if we will like the end result.

“Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side” (Psalm 71:20-21). The word translated quicken, chayah means to live or cause to revive (2421). In the process of transformation, there is usually a point where it feels like or appears to others as if we are going to die. When a caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly, it goes into a chrysalis that is similar to a casket or grave. It isn’t until the butterfly emerges that you can see what has taken place and know that the caterpillar no longer exists.

“Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law, that thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity” (Psalm 94:12-13). To chasten someone means that you discipline him or give him instructions in order to bring about a change in behavior (3256). Although no one knows for certain what happens during metamorphosis, the stillness or idleness of the caterpillar enables it to undergo rapid change. When it emerges from its chrysalis, the butterfly is immediately able to fly and knows how to nourish itself.

In the parable of the potter and the clay, it says, “the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter” (Jeremiah 18:4). The vessel was ruined while the potter was working on it. Some people might conclude that the potter was working with a bad piece of clay or that the potter made a mistake by creating it in the first place. In my opinion, the vessel was meant to be transformed from the start.

The clay that the potter was using was a type that was capable of metamorphosis or transformation. When a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, its DNA does not change. It was meant to be a butterfly from birth. I believe the desire of our heart indicates whether or not we are in the form we are meant to be. Like the process of metamorphosis, we are still waiting for the potter’s hands to be on us. His personal involvement is what makes it possible for the clay to be transformed.

Before and after

Before something is established, it may exist in the form of a thought, an idea, or even a promise. The covenant that God established with David and his descendants existed in the form of a promise until Solomon sat upon the throne of his father (1 Kings 2:12). After Solomon began his reign, God’s promise was conditional based on Israel’s kings obeying the laws set forth by Moses. Both Solomon and his descendants fell short of their covenant obligations, therefore God was not able to bless Israel as he had intended to (see note on 1 Kings 2:4).

Before he died, David hoped that God would fulfill his promise through his son Solomon. The promise recorded in 2 Samuel 7:11-16 had to do with the building of God’s house and the establishment of his kingdom. David thought that God’s house or his temple being built would establish God’s kingdom on earth. David did everything he could to ensure that the temple would be built after he died, but it was up to Solomon to perform the task, so David died not knowing the outcome of God’s promise.

Before David’s death, he instructed his son Solomon to keep the charge of the LORD thy God, “that the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me” (1 Kings 2:3-4). The phrase “continue his word” has to do with prophetic revelation. David believed that what happened to him after he died was dependent on Solomon’s performance of the Mosaic law. What David may or may not have understood was that the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth was not dependent on the temple being built, but dependent on a man being able to keep the Mosaic law, to live a sinless life.

Before Jesus was born, God’s kingdom only existed in Heaven. Jesus told many parables about the kingdom of God to help the Israelites understand that the temple of God was not a building, but something that existed within the heart of man. On one occasion, Jesus told the story of a man with two sons, one obedient and the other disobedient (Matthew 21:28-30) in order to illustrate that keeping the law was a matter of doing God’s will, not following a bunch of rules and regulations.

When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor that would decide his fate, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” (John 18:36). The Greek word translated hence is enteuthen (ent – yoo´ – then) which literally means on both sides or on either side. After Jesus was born, God’s kingdom existed in Heaven and was established on earth. Before Jesus’ crucifixion, the kingdom of God was established on earth because Christ was physically living here. After Jesus’ resurrection, God’s kingdom continued on earth because Christ began living in our hearts.