Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

If your law had not been my delight,
    I would have perished in my affliction.

• Psalm 119:92

Listen to my prayer, O God,
    do not ignore my plea;
    hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
    because of what my enemy is saying,
    because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me
    and assail me in their anger.
My heart is in anguish within me;
    the terrors of death have fallen on me.
Fear and trembling have beset me;
    horror has overwhelmed me.
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest.
I would flee far away
    and stay in the desert;
I would hurry to my place of shelter,
    far from the tempest and storm.”
Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,
    for I see violence and strife in the city.
Day and night they prowl about on its walls;
    malice and abuse are within it.
Destructive forces are at work in the city;
    threats and lies never leave its streets.
If an enemy were insulting me,
    I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
    I could hide.

• Psalm 55:1-12

My companion attacks his friends;
    he violates his covenant.

• Psalm 55:20

He sent out his word and healed them;
    he rescued them from the grave.

• Psalm 107:20

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

• Hebrews 4:14

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”
Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “You have said so.”
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
“‘I will strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”
But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”
Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”
In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

• Matthew 26:14-56

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

• Philippians 2:5

The Boilerplate

My wife took a Bible Study in 2011.  (There was a note in the study guide that identified September 2 and that the study was being held on Friday mornings, or I might not have ever figured out what year.)  My wife had become a Christian in 2000. She greatly respected the pastor’s wife who was also a pastor.  The pastor’s wife spent time as the interim associate pastor, and this Bible study might have been during that time.

My wife passed away in March 2023, and I found this study guide as I was cleaning up.  It is a Beth Moore study guide.  Most of the questions are close-ended, mostly fill-in-the-blank.  But my wife was eager to learn.  She wrote her thoughts in the margins, sometimes encouraged to do so by Beth Moore.  I will use her comments as I did once before, calling this a “with a little help” series in that my wife contributes.  There is more to follow in that she wrote Scriptures and prayers in a notebook.  Probably what she found in her personal Bible study, giving her encouragement through the long illness that took her life.

So, instead of writing about a topic at random, I am going to write on my wife’s comments in the Study Guide. It may follow the study guide topics, but it may not.

Discussion on this topic

Beth Moore assigns a lot of Bible reading in each daily lesson.  This lesson focuses around two passages: Psalm 55 and Matthew 26.  But Beth Moore starts with a request to paraphrase Psalm 119:92.

“I wouldn’t have learned the way of life.”

• My wife’s response

What was David’s frame of mind when he wrote Psalm 55:1-11?

“Despair, hopelessness, terror of death, wants retreat from evil.”

• My wife’s response

Retreat is an interesting word.  In the military, you might consider it a defeat, but a tactical retreat can lure the enemy into a trap.  Think of the second attack on the city of Ai by Joshua (Joshua 8).  But in the Korean Conflict when the US Army forces were cut off in North Korea by the Chinese to the north and the North Koreans to the south, one commander was asked about how it was unusual for the USA to retreat from a fight.  His reply was, “Retreat? H$##! We are just attacking in the opposite direction!”  Or words to that effect.  Indeed, he was, as he was advancing to a point where his forces could be reinforced.  I think my wife was saying that David needed to distance himself from evil.

Psalm 55 mentions a lot of reasons why this frame of mind might exist.  Beth Moore asked for three or four, but my wife went beyond.

“Rumors, gossip, no one he can trust, false accusations, anger.”

• My wife’s response

What was David’s relationship with his friend like?

“Total commitment (almost God-like). Nothing was a secret.”

• My wife’s response

How does that change in verse 20?

“He attacks and violates his covenant (agreement).”

• My wife’s response

I have had “companions” or maybe “associates” who I knew to be untrustworthy.  Their betrayal was almost expected.  You are disappointed, but you can rationalize that they were acting upon their character.  Why associate with them in the first place?  Often someone higher up in the organization wants to see how the “team dynamic” might work.  That higher up may love the betrayer due to charisma or the betrayer sets up golf tournaments nicely.  Yes, I have worked for and with many “gems” over my lifetime.

But when the person that betrays you is a friend that you have shared your secrets, the blow can be devastating.

Not that you ever did, but what have you thought of doing to retaliate when betrayed?

“Betray them with words or secrets they’ve shared with me.”

• My wife’s response

Ouch!  That would hurt, but I understand the deep hurt involved.  And as a schoolgirl, my wife may have felt that way.  She did not seem to be that type though.

Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us about the throne of grace.  What gives you confidence to go to God when you have been betrayed?

“Because Jesus was made human and went through the suffering too.”

• My wife’s response

Ah, ever since the attack roughly two years ago against my wife regarding suffering.  The old heresy that “Christians do not suffer, so you are not a Christian.”  An attack like Job’s friends attacking him.  She knew well that Christians suffer, but we can go to the throne of grace, and lay our burdens at the feet of Jesus.

When all the disciples fled and Peter denied Him, why did Jesus single out Judas as the betrayer?

“Judas did it to fulfill prophecy.”

• My wife’s response

My wife is correct, but it is not the point of the question.  We get few glimpses at the heart of Judas, but it seems he was greedy and ambitious.  Most of the disciples were thinking of an earthly kingdom, but the heart of Judas must have been so hardened that he could not make that leap of faith to a spiritual kingdom.

When Judas sees Jesus not retaliate, he suddenly realizes, maybe remembering what Jesus had taught.  He then cannot live with his decision, and the fact that his betrayal did not lead to riches, fame, and power for him.  But maybe that is just my interpretation based on the few hints we see in the gospels.

What does Philippians 2:5 say about our attitude?

“My attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus.”

• My wife’s response

When Jesus was betrayed, He could have destroyed His betrayer and the guards with him.  Why did He not do so?

“Because Christ loved us so much.  He fulfilled prophecy so we can be reconciled.”

• My wife’s response

So, when we are betrayed, we must not focus our anger on the betrayal or the person who betrayed us.  We must go to the throne of grace and let God deal with the situation.  We can rely on God for the strength to endure beyond that betrayal.  This molds us into someone closer to Jesus, and the betrayal might lead us back onto the perfect path God has for us.  God is sovereign, even if the betrayer does not consider that to be the case at the time.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory