Numbers Running
Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue after righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22
Flee – In most poverty-stricken areas of the world, “numbers” is a game of irrational hope. The only ones who profit from this form of gambling are the ones at the top who collect a hope-tax from everyone else. The real solution for the poor is to run away from the numbers. But when you’re desperate, that’s a very hard thing to do.
So is fleeing youthful lusts. When we are desperate for attention, acceptance, care, recognition, companionship, courage, success or satisfaction, it is nearly impossible to flee the very things that seem to soothe our souls. We pop the lust-fulfillment pills in hopes that this time we will not be abandoned and disappointed. But epithumia is a hope-tax just like the numbers. We must learn to leave the boiling pots behind.
Paul’s warning begins with the verb pheugo. It is not followed by apo (from). Paul doesn’t suggest the specific action of running away from these temptations. He is much more forceful. Get out now! Run! Escape! And don’t look back! It isn’t necessary to know what you are running away from. It is only necessary to run. As soon as you recognize the least suspicion that this behavior is a pot set to boil, get out of there! Sticking around will only lead to scalding, and scalding leaves permanent burn marks.
David had a few things to say about fleeing. This warrior-king knew that no victory was possible in his own strength. In fact, the most disastrous consequences to his people occurred when he took the path of self-reliance by counting the size of his army. David’s strength rested in God’s ability to fight for him, not in his ability to marshal his own resources. Read the Psalms again and you will find a man who learns to lean on the Lord. Even the mighty men know that running to God for rescue is the only successful battle plan.
Contemporary Christianity proclaims a Savior who delivers us from the punishment of sin. But far too often that message promotes delayed victory. In other words, we are told that when we get to heaven our troubles will be over. The Hebrew idea is much more tactical. Rescue and deliverance are needed now, in this life, on this earth. If Yeshua’s deliverance is only good after death, then we are the most miserable of creatures. We are stuck in the staggering evil of the world, waiting to die in order to be redeemed. May it never be! Rescue is reinforcements in the midst of the battle. God’s will must be done on earth. His salvation is revealed in the Kingdom at hand. Some day we may see an Exit sign ahead, but today the sign says “Run To Me.”
Every believer is called to be a track star – in reverse. Run back to the source of your strength. There will be plenty of time to move forward again, after the Lord clears away the high hurdles. Fleeing might just be the most important movement you can ever learn.
Topical Index: flee, pheugo, lusts, 2 Timothy 2:22
“Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue after righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”
Hi Skip,
For me the statement above does not ring true, but at times your explanation makes a lot of sense.
I don’t think we have to run back to the source of our strength, because in my view our strength is always right here right now at the holy “center” of our impure heart.
And I do not like to categorize people in terms of those who have pure hearts and those who don’t.
Sound to me like the Catholic Church circa 1955.
Rather, I think there are those who tend to serve God and others and those who tend to serve themselves at the expense of others.
If we serve ourselves at the expense of others into old age we end up like Bernie Madoff.
I think it would be fair to say that he has a corrupt heart.
FLEEING: The appropriate response when faced with temptations… whether backwards, forwards, up, down or to the “center” of our impure hearts. We must flee to wherever our human minds envision our Savior to be. In reality, he is EVERYWHERE, but we seem to have a need to “place” him somewhere.
CHOOSING TO FLEE: Herein lies the problem and where most of us stumble.
Thanks Skip for another reminder of the importance of fleeing.
“when faced with temptations”
Hi Judy,
As I understand it, temptations come from within (evil impulses).
I’m tempted to do things that I want to do, but that are forbidden.
There is nowhere to go.
So I think we want to place God’s will at the center of our being, and focus on him.
Breathe in Yah.
Breathe out Weh.
Breathe in Yah.
Breathe out Weh.
We must focus ourselves on our center (“heart”) and stand firm.
If we focus on God, we can overcome our fears and he will give us what we need.
Peace.
I think that fleeing is especially hard today because we’re taught to be strong and self-sufficient and to fight for what we deem to be “right.” Fleeing takes humility, the ability to admit I can’t do it alone… That is especially difficult. Fleeing also takes trust that God will do as He says. Looking back at His past reliability and faithfulness makes that easier, but it does make me have to have faith (as in the verb, not the noun).
The other day I heard someone say that the reason a person believes in Jesus is so they don’t go to hell (aren’t eternally separated from God) when they die. That made me kind of sad because if that’s the only reason a person reaches out to Yeshua, they’re missing out on so much – the relationship, the rescue in the midst of battle, and the incredible, ongoing God hunt that we are blessed with every day! Like you said, if we’re just waiting for the end, we’ll miss out on truly living. And Yeshua said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the LIFE.
Yeah God!
yes, Amanda, yea G-d! Fight or flight- our two basic inclination in the midst of confrontation.
Yeshua said I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. And thank you brother Skip- “abundantly” (perizzon) means “to the top and running over.” In this sense Joel Olstein is absolutely correct, it is “your best life ever.” In the end we will find the way of righteousness and the way of happiness are the same path. Seek “righteousness” and you’ll get happiness as a result.
Our problem today seems not to be with the “Speaker”, but rather with our muddled, distracted thinking. In short.. G-d says what He means and He means what He says. We just need to “pay attention” to His words.
The very first word in this verse is “flee”. The force of this is found right at the beginning. “Flee”. Pick ’em up and put ’em down. Move on out of there with rapidity. My pastor had this sign made up while attending college and posted it on his dormitory walls where he could have it in view everyday.
“He who would not fall, ought not to walk in slippery places”. It all starts with a choice- “not” to walk in slippery places. But even so, sin still “lies at the door”. What to do? especially in the sin-saturated world we live in. Temptation is just a mouse-click away.
There is a “part B” to this verse, and that is to “pursue” righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. To flee this and to pursue that. (sounds to me like there is some repentance involved here somewhere. We are to “separate ourselves from sin” and “seek the Savior”. (remember His promise?- if you seek for me with your whole/undivided heart- you will find me?)
G-d does not leave us “empty-handed”. Don’t be thinking about “steeling your will” or “bracing against the current”. Not at all. Our victory is found in Him. It helps to have a game plan in place aforetime. Today, when I am tempted.. I will call upon His name- “Deliverer” and will quickly run to Him for succour and strength.
In our prayer life at the beginning of every day we simply ask- ‘deliver us from evil.’ And yes, brother Skip, I remember- anything outside of G-d’s will is “evil.”
G-d is not (not) a cosmic kill-joy. Do the words “joy unspeakable and full of glory!” ring a bell? Let us review once again the fruits of the Ruah haKodesh: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5.22,23)
“For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1.8)
It all starts with a choice. “Choose you this day whom you will serve”.. “Self or the Savior?” Choose well, as every choice is followed by a consequence. As for me and my house, – we have decided to follow Jesus- no “turning back”. He is the only “holy ONE”- LORD of eternity and LORD of this very present moment.
Turn to YHVH’s path or cycles (‘agol) of righteousness ps.23:3, run on the Creators track with perseverance and endurance which will only lead you to His truth(emet), love (ahav) and complete wholeness (shalom). I believe the word fuego correlates with ba rakh – to flee run away, chase, put to flight, etc. When we follow in His footsteps, His Sabbath, His Feasts, dietary instructions, loving our fellowman through His Torah then we are on His track. This is what truth(emet) is which brings complete wholeness (shalom) as we walk in maturity of the faith(emet) leaving the youthful lusts (immaturity of the faith)
“Turn to YHVH’s path” ps.23:3
Hi Pamela,
Sweet music to my ears, that old Byrds song from the sixties (Turn, Turn, Turn).
We must turn to God AND confront our fears and desires.
Otherwise we can run BUT we cannot hide.
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
A time to build up,a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNopQq5lWqQ