BENCHMARKS AND BEHEMOTHS

From My Perspective - - -

A benchmark represents a standard that is established and accepted as the norm unless or until there is credible evidence for making a change. In Land Surveying, it is a marked point of known or assumed elevation from which other elevations may be established. For more general matters, a benchmark is a standard of excellence or achievement against which similar things must be compared, measured or judged. For many years in Baseball, from 1927, the Record of 60 Home Runs in a season was held by Babe Ruth. That record was the benchmark in baseball until 1961 when Roger Maris hit 61 Home Runs in a season. In like manner, Ruth’s lifetime achievement of 714 Home Runs would be surpassed by Hank Aaron in 1974. Aaron would go on in 1974 to establish a new benchmark of 755 lifetime home runs. In 2007, Barry Bonds would surpass Aaron's record and go on to achieve 762 career home runs. In 2001, Bonds set a single season record of 73 home runs. However, as an old saying states: “records are made to be broken.” Until it is broken, it represents a benchmark of achievement.

A behemoth is represented as being any creature or thing of momentous size or power. It is of interest that the Reference Sources refer to behemoth as first mentioned in the Bible. In Job 40:15-24, “Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; He eats grass like an ox. See now, his strength is in his hips, And his power is in his stomach muscles. He moves his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. His bones are like beams of bronze, His ribs like bars of iron. He is the first of the ways of God; Only He who made him can bring near His sword…Indeed the river may rage, Yet he is not disturbed; He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth, Though he takes it in his eyes, Or one pierces his nose with a snare.” The verbal picture drawn is of a large and unconquerable obstacle. No one is equal to the Behemoth and nothing can overwhelm it. The World Dictionary speculates that it might be “an animal, perhaps the hippopotamus.” They go on to state that it could be “any creature or thing of monstrous size or power.” It is something that is there that will terrify the timid and be an obstacle to the more bold.

Are there Benchmarks and Behemoths today? There is an apparent erosion of moral and ethical behavior and standards in our world and nation. It is strikingly similar to the words in Isaiah 59:1-5, “Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity. No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; they conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.” The decadence within our culture today mocks Christian Values and dismisses them as being of any importance or relevance. Truth is abused and falsehood is framed in such a way that one has merely misunderstood.

How have we gotten to this place in life? How far and how deep is the erosion of moral and ethical values? It is possible and likely that we are living in the context of II Thessalonians 2:9-14, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Does this describe our nation today? If not, we are not far-removed from it. In 1996, Judge Robert H. Bork wrote and published his work, “Slouching Toward Gomorrah.” A reviewer states: “He offers a prophetic and unprecedented view of a culture in decline, a nation in such serious moral trouble that its very foundation is crumbling: a nation that slouches not towards…Bethlehem…but towards Gomorrah.” One would have to agree that he was and is correct. Consider these things with me!