In Deut 11.19-20, Moses encourages the children of Israel to be ‘soaked’ in the Law of God; “Teach them (these words) to your children, taking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates.”

One danger is that we say we believe in God, and accept His word, but that we only read the Bible or discuss it on ‘special’ occasions. At Church, or a weekly Bible Study, or similar. We leave the other hours of our week Bible-free.

If I am to live out the life of Jesus Christ, and be His ambassador in this world, surely a natural overflow of Bible truth is essential!

Had I visited the home of an Israelite family, on the evidence of this scripture, I would see God’s word as I entered their house, on the gates and door-frames. Had I shared a meal with them, I would have heard conversation punctuated by God’s truth. Had I journeyed with them, I would have been able to share godly discussion. And, as one generation passed, the next generation perpetuated the same values.

In our family homes, in our workplaces, and in our Church friendships, let us make the effort to include Bible truth in conversation. No aspect of life is excluded from God. Let us not live as if it were.

George Fox was the founder of the Quaker movement in the late seventeenth century. His journal does not make the easiest of reads; but has some illuminating incidents. Fox became well known throughout England. He and his followers were often imprisoned for their faith. The journal even records a meeting with Oliver Cromwell, whom Fox tried to convince of his views.

It was around the same time that George Fox wrote to the groups of Friends that had started to meet across England. There was evidently a little confusion with many contributing. In words reminiscent of the apostle Paul in 1 Cor 14, Fox wrote:

All my dear friends in the noble Seed of God, who have known His power, life and patience among you, let it be your joy to hear or see the springs of life break forth in any: through which ye may have all unity on the same, feeing life and power. And above all things, take heed of judging any one openly in your meetings except they be openly profane or rebellious, such as be out of the truth; that by the power, life and wisdom ye may stand over them and by it answer the witness of God in the world, that such, whom ye bear your testimony against, are none of you: so that therein the truth may stand clear and single. But such as are tender, if they should be moved to babble forth a few words, and speak in the Seed and the Lamb’s power, suffer and hear that: that is the tender. And if they should go beyond their measure, bear it in the meeting for peace and order’s sake, and that the spirits of the world be not moved against you. But when the meeting is done, then if any be moved to speak to them, between you and them, one of two of you that feel it in the life, do it in the love and wisdom that is pure and gentle from above: for love is that which does edify, bears all things, suffers long, and does fulfil the law. So in this ye have order and edification, ye have wisdom to preserve you all wise and in patience; which takes away the occasion of stumbling the weak, and the occasion of the spirits of the world to get up; but in the royal Seed, the heavy stone, ye keep down all that is wrong; and by it answer that of God in all. For ye will hear, see, and feel the power of God preaching, as your faith is all in it (when ye do not hear words), to bind, to chain, to limit, to frustrate: that nothing should rise nor come forth but what is in the power: for with that ye will hold back, and with that ye will let up, and open every spring, plant, and spark; in which will be your joy and refreshment in the power of God.

And, Friends, though ye may have been convinced, and have tasted of the power, and felt the light; yet afterwards ye may feel a winter storm, tempest and hail, frost and cold, and temptation in the wilderness, Be patient and still in the power and in the light that does convince you, to keep your minds to God, in that be quiet, that ye may come to the summer, that your flight be not in the winter. For if ye sit still in the patience, which overcomes in the power of God, there will be no flying.

One symptom of human ‘original sin’ is division. Paul says that the Gentiles were called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (Eph 2.11). This was a particular division, that between Jews and Gentiles. We see it in the book of Acts when Peter visits the home of Cornelius (Acts 10-11). The ‘Counsel of Jerusalem’ considers the issue (Acts 15) which results in a letter which Paul takes around some churches.

In the book of Judges, there is inter-tribal fighting within Israel. Tribal differences were highlighted by the inability of Ephraimites who could not pronounce ‘shibboleth’ correctly. As a result, we read, some 42,000 were killed (Judges 12.4-7). In more recent times, for example, in 1994, some 851,000 Tutsi were killed in the Rwandan genocide, simple because they were of the ‘wrong’ tribe. More recently, over 700,000 Rohingya people have been abandoned between Myanmar and Bangladesh because they belong to the ‘wrong’ tribe.

Many delight in the uniqueness of their tribe or nation. We support our football team at the World Cup; we cheer on our favourites in the Eurovision Song Contest. But at some point, that patriotism becomes nationalism, then xenophobia and tribalism and racism. When there is animosity and hatred and ethnic cleansing, that is clearly sinful.

Paul declares; “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.   He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. (Eph 2.13, 17). We are brought near to God, and near to one another. Men and women from different tribes, even those in conflict, are brought together, part of the same family, fellow-citizens and members of God’s household.

This is evidenced in Acts 13.1, which names five leaders in the Church in Antioch. Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus, is joined by Simeon, a black African, by Lucius, from Cyrene, north Africa, by Manaen, from Samaria presumably (having been brought up with Herod) and Saul, from Tarsus. Here are men from different nations, reflecting the variety found in the Antioch Church. It was from this Church, not the Jewish-dominated Church in Jerusalem, that Saul (to become Paul) and Barnabas were sent out to plant Churches throughout the Roman world.

In his vision of eternity, the apostle John saw a vast crowd, more than any man could count, of every nation and tribe and people and language (Rev 7.9). And, in the closing section of our Bibles, he joyfully declares, “now the dwelling of God is with men … they will be His peoples …” (Rev 21.3). This is an indication that tribes and nations (peoples) will retain certain distinctives in eternity.

In our present world human divisions are the norm, the Church has the glorious responsibility to declare what Paul calls the manifold wisdom of God through joyful unity in diversity.