Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Boilerplate

I’m Harold Dykstra.  I’m retired, but I go to food bank distributions all over Tracy and talk to people that need someone who will listen to their story.  My time is well spent.  A police lieutenant suggested that I write down the conversations that I had with an angel.  I did not know she was an angel at the time.  The angel, for a little over a year, indwelled a life-sized posable action figure my children bought me, so that I would not be perceived as travelling alone.  And in a way, she was training me for what I do while talking to the needy.  She probed my heart to find out what I believed and how I express love for others.  She changed my life.

In her leaving, she said someone would come.  I had thought that was Jesus, in His second coming, but a new Babs, a little older, the model for the posable action figure arrived.  While I had no desire to start over with romance, Morrie helped her move in, thinking she was the other Babs who had returned.

This Week’s Question

Last week, Babs rearranged her wardrobe but then realized what she usually wore was the best anyway.

This week Babs was not in a good mood.

I asked, “Why are you so glum, Babs?”

Babs moaned, “I was just looking through the Bible.  I was thinking of the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  So you realize that the Father of our Country did not sign the Declaration of Independence!  And why?  George Washington was out fighting the war so we could be free.  Why do our children and grandchildren have to go off to wars in countries that we cannot even pronounce just to maintain that freedom?  And in searching for ‘war’ in the Bible, I found 399 times that war is in the NIV.”

I snickered, “Babs, that is 399 times that there is a verse with a word starting with W-A-R.”

Babs huffed, War!  Wars!  What’s the difference?”

I laughed, “What about the word ‘ward’?”

Babs asked, “And how many times is ‘ward’ mentioned?”

I sighed, “There are nine times that a word starts with ward.  Ward is mentioned three times, as in ward off, as in Lamentations 2.  ‘The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The prophecies they gave you were false and misleading.’ (Lamentations 2:14).  Warden is mentioned three times in Genesis 39.  ‘So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.’ (Genesis 39:22).  Wardrobe is mentioned three times, as in 2 Kings 10.  ‘And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, ‘Bring robes for all the servants of Baal.’ So he brought out robes for them.’ (2 Kings 10:22).”

Babs scrunched her nose, “I asked what difference that makes.  I still have 390.”

I laughed, “No, dear.  What about the 112 times that warn is mentioned in forms like warn, warned, warning, like in Ezekiel 33 ‘and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people,’ (Ezekiel 33:3).”

Babs groaned, “I will allow you to cut down the 390 by 100.  There has to be some of those warnings that pertain to war.”

I smiled and bowed, “I will allow that.  That brings us down to 290, roughly.  Let’s get that down by another nine.  What are you putting away?”

Babs laughed, “You do a lot of cooking.  I appreciate that, but when it comes to the dishware and flatware, you may wash them, but you leave them in the drying rack.  Someone has to put them away.”

I shrugged, “And what do those things end with? Ware.  Dishware and flatware are not wars, not even weapons of war.  ‘“‘The ships of Tarshish serve as carriers for your wares. You are filled with heavy cargo as you sail the sea.’ (Ezekiel 27:25).  So, now we are down to roughly 280.  Now, another nineteen are warm, like in Joshua 9.  ’This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is.’ (Joshua 9:12).  But maybe that one verse is not a good one.  The bread was not warm when they left.  They lied to Joshua.  But still, we are now down to 260.  We can neglect the one wart and the four warped things.  But then we come to the word you will protest, warrior.”

Babs smiled, “Thank you, Harold.  You cannot have a warrior without a war.”

I said, “I admit you are correct, but still, in our country, someone who serves in the military is a veteran whether he fired a weapon at an enemy or not.  ’from Simeon, warriors ready for battle—7,100;’ (1 Chronicles 12:25). That means that those warriors were counted.  They were ready for battle, but it does not say that they fought.  And then in Song of Songs, ’Look! It is Solomon’s carriage, escorted by sixty warriors, the noblest of Israel,’ (Song of Songs 3:7).  During Solomon’s reign, there was only one recorded armed conflict.  There are 95 times warrior is mentioned.  But I will admit that most of these times, it is in some form of conflict, even when David’s mighty warriors snuck behind enemy lines to get water from a particular well.  And David refused to drink it, knowing that they risked their lives because he merely wished for a taste of that water.”

Babs asked, “Is that where that saying came from?  Your wish is my command?”

I smiled, “I think in print it comes from Aladin and those stories, but the concept probably dates back to the kings of biblical times.  The only time you see command and wish in the same verse of the Bible is in Esther.  ‘By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.’ (Esther 1:8).”

Babs sighed, “Okay, Harold, I will be generous.  Let’s say 250 times that war is speaking about war, warfare, or warhorses.  Ha!  I looked up some of them myself.  ‘Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth.’ (Genesis 10:8).  The Bible could have said that Nimrod was a builder of great cities like Babylon and Ninevah.  There were a lot of other cities, but I doubt if I could pronounce them.  No, Nimrod is described as a warrior.”

I said, “Why all the concern now, Babs?”

Babs sighed, “What is tomorrow?  It’s the 250^th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  I already mentioned that Washington was out fighting the war that would secure that freedom.  Cornwallis did not surrender to Washington until October of 1781.  But then there was the War of 1812.  That war was over in December of 1814 according to the treaty, but Andrew Jackson and the British army had not gotten the memo, so they fought the Battle of New Orleans in January of 1815.”

I said, “Wow, you have done your homework.”

Babs brightened.  “I have had all my brain power working on it.  Our grandson, Matthew, wants to be a businessman of some type.  But he is of age to join the military.  We have the United Nations, but I doubt if there has been a day since they were formed that there wasn’t a war somewhere.”

I said, “You are correct.  I just checked.  But our sin nature almost guarantees that.  I think that is why Jesus said, ‘You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.’ (Matthew 24:6).  God does not have to manufacture a war.  The one exception might be when He told Joshua to take the Promised Land.  ‘“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Joshua 1:2-5).  But that agreement to not leave us or forsake us applies to us, not just Joshua.  But Assyria conquering Ephraim and Babylon conquering Judah was God’s judgment on those kingdoms.  God allowed the greed of those countries to take the Promised Land away temporarily in order to correct the hearts of the sinners of those kingdoms.  God uses the greed, pride, and lust of people today to exact punishment or correction in our world today, but Babs, certainly, you want the final battle to come.”

Babs walked over and kissed me, “I know where you are going with this, but it does not make me feel good about it.”

I nodded, “Babs, the final war, ending with the final battle, is how God will end all the sin, death, crying, and pain in this world.  No matter how distasteful, it must be done.”

Babs smiled a wry smile, “Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.” (Revelation 18:21-24).”

I smiled, “And the ultimate outcome will follow.  ‘”He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death” or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”’ (Revelation 21:4).”

Babs giggled, “Well, at least we do not know of anyone that is in the military now.  Maybe my praying for them will keep it that way.”

I sighed, “But we know of someone who has a sister in the military.  I hear that Sgt. Maude Lothrop is a tough young lady.  She is Mags second oldest.  We have met Madelaine at the pre-school.  I hope Jayke and Janella can go there next year.  Maude is second.  Mindy went away to school.  And then Mercedes and Mike are dating Morrie’s two children.  We need to pray for all of them, but I agree with you.  Let us pray for the military in general.  You never know when they will get in harm’s way.”

Credits

All these conversations remind me of my conversations with my wife.  We would talk about anything and everything.  And most of the time, it sounded like a discussion in a Sunday school class.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.