{"id":1323,"date":"2010-11-21T01:48:20","date_gmt":"2010-11-21T01:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/11\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-is-god-a-dragon.html"},"modified":"2010-11-21T01:48:20","modified_gmt":"2010-11-21T01:48:20","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-is-god-a-dragon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/11\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-is-god-a-dragon.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling: Is God a Dragon?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Is God a Dragon?
\n<\/b><\/font><\/div>\n
Psalm 18:1-50<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\nSmoke poured from his nostrils;
\n     fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
\n     Glowing coals blazed forth from him.<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n

Psalm 18:8<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

\nPsalm 18 celebrates God’s deliverance of David from danger and
\ndistress. “The ropes of death entangled me,” he writes, “floods of
\ndestruction swept over me” (18:4). Yet, as David cried out to the Lord,
\nGod heard him and came to deliver him.<\/p>\n

\tThe prose version of what happened next would read unimaginatively:
\nThe Lord rescued David from his enemies and kept him safe. But the
\nPsalms are poetry, not prose. Psalm 18 delivers, not just the facts, but
\nrather a vivid picture of God’s coming in awesome power to deliver
\nDavid. This portrayal utilizes a variety of stirring images, including a
\nmighty earthquake and a spectacular thunderstorm (18:7, 11-14). In
\nverse 8, God is pictured as a sort of dragon: “Smoke poured from his
\nnostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed
\nforth from him.”<\/p>\n

\tNow that’s enough to get the attention of a ten-year-old boy! But
\nwhat does it tell us about God? And how can we relate to a God with
\nsmoking nostrils? The images of Psalm 18 aren’t meant to convey literal
\ntruth about God’s nature. Rather, they are poetic, culturally embedded,
\nand theologically powerful representations of God’s strength and
\njudgment. In particular, they point to the mighty acts of God in Exodus,
\nwhen he parted the waters of the Red Sea (Exod. 14:15-31) and visited
\nthe Israelites on Mt. Sinai with thunder, lightning, smoke, and an
\nearthquake (see Exod. 19:16-20).<\/p>\n

\tThe good news of Psalm 18 is not only that God is mighty, but also
\nthat he is mighty for us. When we cry out to him, he comes to save us.
\nOf course, one of the greatest ironies of God’s salvation is that it is
\nultimately centered in the apparent weakness and defeat of the cross.
\nYet, through the cross, God took upon himself the fire of his righteous
\njudgment. In the death of Christ, God bore our punishment for sin, thus
\ndefeating the power of sin and even death itself. Psalm 18 invites us to
\ncelebrate God’s salvation in Jesus Christ: “I called on the LORD, who
\nis worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies” (18:3).<\/p>\n

\tQUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:<\/strong> Why do you think
\nGod inspired the psalmist to depict his nature in such bold and shocking
\nimages? What images might you choose today to convey the saving power
\nof God? Have you ever experienced a situation like that of David in
\nPsalm 18? How did God rescue you?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

\nPRAYER:<\/strong> Thank you, Almighty God, for the poetic images of Psalm 18.<\/p>\n

\tYou are indeed my rock, my fortress, my savior, my shield. You
\nprotect me in ways I can see and in ways I’ll never know. In you, I am
\nsafe for eternity.<\/p>\n

\tYou are a God of power, whose presence is like smoke and fire. Your word thunders. Your judgment strikes like lightning.<\/p>\n

\tYou are the one who reached down and rescued me from the deep waters
\nof sin. You have delivered me again and again from the pits into which I
\nhave fallen.<\/p>\n

\tO God, you are faithful, with complete integrity. You are pure in
\nyour grace and your judgment. You light my way. Indeed, you are perfect.<\/p>\n

\tAll praise be to you, God of power, God of mercy! Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?  <\/p>\n

Here’s how . . . .<\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling: Everyday Conversations about Work, Life, and God <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>). You can read my Daily Reflections there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace. The High Calling<\/i> is associated with Laity Lodge, where I work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is God a Dragon? Psalm 18:1-50 Smoke poured from his nostrils;      fierce flames leaped from his mouth.      Glowing coals blazed forth from him. Psalm 18:8 Psalm 18 celebrates God’s deliverance of David from danger and distress. “The ropes of death entangled me,” he writes, “floods of destruction swept over me” (18:4). Yet, as…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling: Is God a Dragon? - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1323\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}