Does heaven negate our skills learned here on earth?

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away ...

Revelation 21:1b English Standard Version

I've always wondered in the back of my mind if all the skills I'm learning here on earth, all the "growing up" I'm doing, all the learning and training I'm doing will all be useless once I'm in heaven. Ten thousand years from now if I happen to reflect on my earth life, will it mean anything to me? Will my piano playing, my painting, my ability to organize things, my courage in the face of an embarrassing situation, my (still developing) ability to love the unlovable? If these skills are only good for the first 70 years of eternity, what's the point?

I love how in Revelation John/God makes it a point to tell us that we should expect not only a new heaven but a new earth when at the end of all days all things are made new. A new earth ... to me that means that He will remake the earth into what it was supposed to be before the whole Satan/Adam/Eve mess occurred.

Except it's gonna be even better than it was originally designed to be. If sin had never entered the picture, we'd still love God and find our joy in Him, but the full spectrum of His beauty and character would not perhaps be as real to us. No one adores mercy like those who have needed and received it. Someone who has never erred may smile and nod at the concept, but they don't have the same soul-deep appreciation for it.

So maybe our concept of Heaven and the after-life is more similar to earth than we think. It's not playing harps on clouds--I will still practice piano and in that practice continue to enjoy music more and more. We will still grow and learn in the new earth--even Jesus on the old earth had to learn (learn to walk, learn to talk, learn to place the nail just so for the hammer strike, etc.) so there is no sin or negativity in gaining knowledge and wisdom and skills--but without the sin holding us back or marring our joy.

And in that case, the sooner I learn all my skills here, the farther along I'll be when the new earth comes, so that my joy may start at an even higher level when I get there!

Or am I crazy?

Sorry this post was so long. I'm excited.

Other interests vs. my own

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Philippians 2:3-4 New International Version, ©2010

I used to think this verse meant that you shouldn't look to your own interests, but that you should only look out for others. As a teenager I followed this misguided interpretation whole-heartedly, even neglecting my own health, happiness and spiritual training, and in the end it did me in. Everything in life, I'm coming to find, is not black and white--rather it's a balance, a juggling of many sides. It's much harder to see the world in grey, but in the end, much more rewarding, much truer and closer to the heart of God.

God's Zeal

"The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this."

Isaiah 9:7b ESV

This phrase is not uncommon in Scripture ... I like it. It means that God is enthusiastic about stuff too, that He doesn't just sit on His haunches and occasionally mix the pot of destiny, but He is actively and enthusiastically making all things good.

Isaiah & Mr. Holmes

"And he said, "Go, and say to this people:

"'Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'

Make the heart of this people dull,

and their ears heavy,

and blind their eyes;

lest they see with their eyes,

and hear with their ears,

and understand with their hearts,

and turn and be healed.""

Isaiah 6:9-10 English Standard Version

This is so true! How many things do I see but do not see, hear but it goes in one ear and out the other. This was actually one of Sherlock Holmes's favorite sayings, "You see, but you do not observe," meaning that merely laying your eyes on something and actually mentally taking in its significance or not the same thing.

May I see and observe, hear and understand, all that God is teaching me.

What a Sob Story

Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner." And King David followed the bier.

2 Samuel 3:31 English Standard Version

Whenever someone dies David really, really takes it hard. Here he's mourning Abner, his enemy-turned-maybe-friend. And when Absalom died he nearly lost his mind, then when his child by Bathsheeba didn't make it he lay on his face for a week. Bit of a drama queen, huh?

A Quick Retort Is Over-Rated

The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
   but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

Proverbs 15:28 English Standard Version

Having a sharp wit is considered a desirable trait in my social circle. On my good days I have one, on my bad days I just stare vacantly and my mind conjures up ... silence.

But upon reflection, at the end of the day as I lie in bed, if I have any regrets about the words I have spoken it is nine times out of ten for those that I spoke "wittily" and not those that I thought about for a while before voicing.

As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.

1 Samuel 24:16 English Standard Version

Each time I read Saul's story, how he rose out of obscurity into God's favor and quickly out of it and into a painful and inglorious decline, I am struck by how God "interferes" with Saul's and David's life in very similar ways and yet how differently that affects them.

With David it is a blessing and keeping him on the stright and narrow, a guide, a refuge, a source of strength.

With Saul it's like he's a fish and God keeps telling him to walk on land. God's interference only seems to drive him further out of control. In the end, unlike David's, Saul's heart is entirely out of sync with God. Saul never truly loved God nor cared for Him.

Come With Me Into the Field

“Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they [David and Jonathan] went there together.

1 Samuel 20:11 New International Version

This phraseology immediately brought to mind Genesis 4:8 wherein the bitter Cain invites his brother Abel into a field not to save his life, but to kill him. The contrast is really striking.

Goliath Ten Stories High?

And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him.

1 Samuel 17:4-7 English Standard Version

A cubitis 18inches, and depending on which vrsion of the ancient texts you read Goliath was described as either 4 or 6 cubits high, plus a span (4 inches). So whether he was 6'4" or 9'4" he still wasn't as astronomically large as children's books often depict him.

Either way though, he was tall and strong--his coat of mail alone weighed 125lbs! (A shekel is 2/5oz.) Even his spear head was 15lbs.

Now that's a strong guy. Kudos to David (of God of course)!

Chronology In the Histories

As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?”
Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”
The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”

1 Samuel 17:55-56 New International Version

This story (David and Goliath) follows the story of Saul's evil spirit and the young man--the same David--who was brought to the court as a harp player to sooth his restlessness.

I've always thought it odd that Saul did not recognize David when he came to the camp--maybe the harp story comes second chronologically?

Either way though you'd think there'd be some recognition on Saul's part. He was half mad, though, so who knows.

Authority, or "I Have a Better Idea"

And Samuel said,
"Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
   as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
   and to listen than the fat of rams."

1 Samuel 15:22 English Standard Version

Authority is a tricky issue in our country--we acknowledge its value and importance but resent it when it manifests itself over us. I see this in my place of work, in my family, even among my friends. "How dare [insert name of authority figure here] not consider my idea/ tell me to do that/ hurt my feelings?"

In this story Saul sounds exactly like a modern-day employee: "Yeah I heard what you told me to do but I improved on it with my own idea. Great, huh?"

Authority is authority--you either obey or completely disregard (i.e. treat them as having no authority). There is no in between.

Saul's Ever-Changing Heart

"When he [Saul] turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart."

1 Samuel 10:9a English Standard Version

"...the Spirit of God rushed upon him [Saul], and he prophesied among them."

1 Samuel 10:10b English Standard Version

"And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled."

1 Samuel 11:6 English Standard Version

Much more famous is the passage where God takes His spirit away from Saul. But today in reading the passage about Saul's rise out of obscurity to royalty I was struck anew how deliberatly (and often) God directly intervened in Saul's heart, changing it and molding it to His will and purpose.

I find this both disturbing and strengthening.

Disturbing that God can bring such abrupt, supernatural change in a person's very core at will, and yet that same truth stengthens me in that when God does that to me, it is for my good and His glory. Amen.

Passages That Make Your Eyes Glaze Over

The allotment for the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans reached southward to the boundary of Edom, to the wilderness of Zin at the farthest south. And their south boundary ran from the end of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward...

Joshua 15:1-2 English Standard Version

I'm reading through Joshua right now and it's hard for me to read chapter after chapter of place names and borders and seas and hill countries that I cannot visualize in my head.

Does anyone know a good resource (preferably online) of really detailed Biblical maps by era so that as I'm reading these passages I can print them out and draw the boundaries myself?

Otherwise my eyes glaze over and I glean nothing from these portions of Scripture, except perhaps that God is a god of detail and that the Old Testament is not only a spiritual encouargement but an accurate historical record.

When a River Flows Toward the Sky

"...And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap."

Joshua 3:13 English Standard Version

Wow, can you imagine? Can you just visualize that? Imagine a river flowing, flowing and then BOOM it hits and invisible wall and starts pooling up against it, swirling higher and higher.

That must have been an amazing sight. It reminds me of the parting of the Red Sea scene from The Prince of Egpyt. I love God's "flair."

When Even Evil Can't Win

For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you. However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.

Deuteronomy 23:4-5 New International Version

The beauty and tenderness of God's affection really struck me in this passage. God took what was evil and not only protected His children from it but turned it into good, simply because He loves them.

How beautiful.

Explanantions not owed, but granted

“No, do not be afraid of those nations [who currently occupy the land God is giving you], for the Lord your God is among you, and he is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you.

Deuteronomy 7:21-22 New Living Translation

I love how the Bible goes straight from describing God as "great" and "awesome" to explaining His thinking behind His actions: "otherwise the wild animals would multiply." What a priviledge that the mighty God honors us with explanations that we are not owed! It just goes to show how much He values His relationship with us, how much He cares for us and His equals in that we bear His image. Amazing.

Hee-Haw She Said Something

Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you."

Numbers 22:28-29 English Standard Version

What striks me most about this story isn't so much that the donkey talked back to Balaam (after all I am a Narnia and Brian Jaques child) but that Balaam talked back to her!

I mean seriously wouldn't you at least do a double-take before threatening death on your transportation?