Hearing new ideas from the Lord while studying Scripture never fails to amaze me. I pray that this type of amazement never dwindles within me. Yesterday I spoke of my new study - Beth Moore's Esther Bible study. I did not plan to finish Acts and start Esther within a few days of one another; it is just the way things happened. I began Esther expecting to be challenged, yet I did not expect to hear new words from the Lord so quickly. I especially did not expect to hear words that connect so closely with my study of Acts and my interest in culture and critical thinking.
Yesterday I wrote of ideological drunkenness - it sounds so academic, doesn't it? That is not my intention.... :) King Xerxes' excessive behavior reminds me of our culture's over-the-top, obsessive need for more, more, and more... as well as the demand for tolerance, tolerance, tolerance. We are bombarded with the need to blindly accept all ideas from all people - unless the ideas are traditional, then it is okay to openly lack tolerance. Oftentimes it appears like there are only two options: either kindly accept all differences and be the worldly definition of tolerant, or hatefully deny all differences and be the worldly definition of phobic. The middle ground is quickly fading from existence. Just as Xerxes' excessiveness and liberality created chaos, so does our current state of excess and ideological drunkenness.
When King Xerxes realized he was in a hole, after Queen Vashti denied his demand, he sought counsel. The folks Xerxes trusted for advice stand out to me as the same kind of advisers our contemporary culture trusts - experts in law and justice, wise men who understood the times, and those who were close to the king. My observation indicates that no Godly advisers were included in Xerxes inner circle. The hole Xerxes found himself in subsequently deepened.
We will experience a similar result today if we choose faulty advisers. Be extremely cautious of the counsel on which you depend. Counsel comes in the form of face-to-face interactions, writings, conversations, speaking, preaching, teaching - basically anything that enters one's mind, whether conscious or unconscious. We can not recognize and understand Godly counsel apart from our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Godly revelation is more valuable than the views of experts in law and justice, wise men who understand the times, and those with whom we are closest.
Godly revelation reveals the ridiculousness of humanity's attempt to make sense of the world.
Godly revelation guides believers in engaging the culture while also glorifying God and edifying others.
Godly revelation reverses ideological drunkenness.
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