In Answer to David's Question. . . 5/30/14

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? Psalm 56:4 ESV

³¹ This was how he died, leaving his death as an example of nobility and a record of virtue not only for the young but for the greater part of the nation. 2 Maccabees 6:31

 Two different sources came together today for an morning time.  The first verse above was the "Verse of the Day" from biblegateway.com.  The second verse was today's reading from Daily Bread for Daily Needs.  It is from the book of 2 Maccabees.  First and Second Maccabbes are not books in the canonized Bible used by Protestant faiths, but is still used in the Catholic church.  I do not profess to have the slightest idea of why the Maccabees are not part of "my" Bible, but today's reading aligns so well with the verse from Psalm, I wanted to use it.

David writes in Psalm 56, "What can flesh do to me?"  Well in the verses leading up to 2 Maccabees 6:31, we see some of the things flesh can do to a person.

2 Macabees was written at a time when the Greeks were trying to get Jews to "violate their ancestral customs and live no longer by the laws of God."  2 Maccabees 6:1  In the verses in Chapter 6 are two frightening examples of what flesh can do to a person.

¹⁰ For example, two women were charged with having circumcised their children. They were paraded publicly round the town, with their babies hung at their breasts, and then hurled over the city wall. ¹¹ Other people, who had assembled in some near-by caves to keep the seventh day without attracting attention, were denounced to Philip, and were then all burnt to death together. . . 2 Macabees 6:10-11 

 Oh were I to have the strength of David, the disciples, missionaries, and indeed, Jesus Christ to fully realize what human beings are able to do to others, but still boldly live out my Christian life.

I shirk at giving that extra $100 a month to a worthy ministry because I worry about retirement.  I shy away from speaking that word of witness to a lost friend out of a fear of making him uncomfortable.

David's question in Psalm 56:4 was rhetorical.  He knew full well what flesh could to do another person.  The real challenge is to forge ahead with God's plan with full knowledge of what earthly consequences may befall us.