Observations from the Word by The Barking Fox

Confessions of a Scapegoat

We think of a scapegoat as someone who takes the blame for someone else. That's the opposite of what we see in scripture about scapegoats. They're actually the ones who go free after another goat is sacrificed in their place. Or do they really go free? Considering the burdens they bear, one wonders which of the two goats is truly the free one.
Leviticus 16:1-18:30; Ezekiel 20:2-20, 22:1-19; Matthew 5:17-48; Romans 7:14-25; Hebrews 13:11-16
The Scapegoat, William Holman Hunt, 1854, Lady Lever Art Gallery, Liverpool, via Wikimedia Commons.
Music: "There Is A Redeemer,” Keith Green, Greatest Hits, Sparrow Records 2008.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Confessions of a Scapegoat.pdf

The Pain and Joy of the Fragments

Being in the world and not of it is an easy game to play as long as the world system allows us to mimic the Kingdom of Heaven. The façade inevitably wears away, though, and we have to make a choice. That's when those who opt to run after the Kingdom of Heaven become the outcasts of society, while the rest continue to run after whatever new normal brings a new illusion of peace and safety. Everyone experiences pain in this process, but some will have joy in the end. 
Exodus 13:1-15:26, 22:24-23:19; 34:1-26; Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17; Leviticus 19:9-10; Isaiah 10:20-12:6; Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23; John 6:1-14; Revelation 21:1-4 
The Crossing of the Red Sea, Nicolas Poussin, 1632-1634, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
Music: "It Is Well / I Exalt Thee,” Celtic Worship, Morningtide, Integrity Music 2021. See the official video on Youtube at https://youtu.be/jqKO-oScDBI. Celtic Worship’s music is available at https://celticworship.co.uk/.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: The Pain and Joy of the Fragments.pdf

Joined by the Blood

So much of this walk with our Creator involves our identity. If we know Whose we are, then we can know who we are - and then maybe we won't be so threatened by those who share that same identity, but express it differently. 
Exodus 12:21-51; Joshua 5:2-6:1; Jeremiah 23:7-8, 16:14-15; Genesis 25:27-34; Luke 20:1-39; John 11:45-52; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Ephesians 2:11-21
The Signs on the Door, James Tissot, 1896-1902, The Jewish Museum, Brooklyn, via Wikimedia Commons.
Music: "Come Thou Fount,” Celtic Worship, Morningtide, Integrity Music 2021. See the official video on Youtube at https://youtu.be/XKOoeTbjSeI. Celtic Worship’s music is available at https://celticworship.co.uk/. 
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Joined by the Blood.pdf

In the Valley of the Lepers

The reason we don't reach out more to undesirable people is because they are, well, undesirable. But how much of that undesirableness is because they are actually toxic to us, and how much is a description we have assigned based on our own preferences? This is why it's uncomfortable to read that our Messiah made a habit of reaching out to the undesirables. It gets even more uncomfortable when we realize we ourselves are undesirable, but He reached out to us anyway. 
Leviticus 14:1-15:33; 2 Kings 7:3-20; Exodus 29:19-21; John 5:19-20, 14:9-15; James 1:26-27, 4:1-12
Leper on the day of his cleansing, Simon Fokke, after a drawing Louis Fabritius Dubourg, 1722-1784, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
Music: "Made to Leave” (feat. Mason Clover), Exodus Road Band, Hard Rain, 2018. See the official video on Youtube at https://youtu.be/3_w1EGc78Y4. The Exodus Road Band's music is available at www.exodusroadband.com. 
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: In the Valley of the Lepers.pdf

Staying On The Field

Sometimes it helps to think of life as a game. There are many things out of our control in games, but we do have some control over how long we stay in the game, and whether we play well with others.
Leviticus 9:1-11:47, 2 Samuel 6:1-7:17; Psalm 24:1-10; Acts 5:1-11; James 4:8-12
Sliding Into Home. Arlington Little League photo by Danny Lee, June 20, 2017, via Flickr.
Music: "Centerfield," John Fogerty, Bad News Bears (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Bulletproof Entertainment, 2005. The full song is available on John Fogerty’s YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/Xq3hEMUeBGQ. 
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Staying On The Field.pdf

A Kingdom of Priests

Our contemporary concept of priesthood probably hasn't changed much since the dawn of civilization. It seems that we humans are quite happy to outsource our interaction with the Creator to those who seem more inclined to stand before Him on our behalf. That is, at best, a temporary solution seeing that our Creator has always desired to connect with each of us directly. With that in mind, maybe we should give some thought to what He means when He says He has called us into His Kingdom of Priests.
Leviticus 6:8-8:36, 10:8-10; Psalm 110:4; Jeremiah 7:21-8:3, 9:23-24; Ezekiel 22:25-27, 44:23; Hebrews 6:13-7:28; 1 Peter 2:1-11
Consecration of Aaron and His Sons. Illustration from the 1890 Holman Bible, via Wikimedia Commons.
Music: "Higher Ground," Promise Keepers, Turn the Tide 2001, Maranatha, 2002.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: A Kingdom of Priests.pdf

The Garment of A Jew: A Special Presentation for Purim

Did you ever consider that human beings are simultaneously the oppressed and the oppressors, the beloved and the reprobate, the Creator's handiwork and the Adversary's tools? This paradox of our existence has inserted a tension in the universe that our Creator is resolving through a massive role reversal story called redemption.
Zechariah 8:18-23; Esther 8:15-17; Isaiah 61:1-3; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Matthew 20:16, 27:35-54; Romans 3:1-2; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
The Garments Divided by Cast Lots, James Tissot, 1886-1894, The Brooklyn Museum.
Music: "Garments of Praise,” Robin Mark, Revival In Belfast, Columbia 2002.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: The Garment of A Jew.pdf

Burned Up or Burned Out?

Does our Creator delight in the fact that the pace of this modern world leaves us overstretched and exhausted? Of course not. He does expect us to be overstretched and exhausted, but His delight is in seeing us pour ourselves out to Him so He can fill us anew day by day. 
Leviticus 1:1-6:7; Isaiah 43:21-44:23; Jeremiah 6:16; Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 12:1-2; Hebrews 12:28-29
Burnout! Photo by Dennis Skley, August 10, 2014, via Flickr.
Music: "Overture,” Solomon O. Lopez, The Born At Home Collections, The Hebraism Project 2014. To hear more of Solomon’s music, visit The Hebraism Project on YouTube.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Burned Up or Burned Out.pdf